Double Trouble
by nyislandersgirl
Summary: While still newly married, Ash and Misty reccieve some surprising news. When Team Rocket finds out, however, they will do anything in their power to get their hands on what is rightfully Ash and Misty's, immersing the couple in a state of fear and danger.
1. The Deed is Done

**Hello again, dear readers! I am back with yet another multi chaptered fic! I'm really excited about this story, as it's something I've wanted to write for a very long time, so I hope you all enjoy it!**

**I'm planning for this story to have fairly long chapters, but the first two chapters are fairly short, as they build up to the main point of the story. So just bear with me! The second chapter will probably be added sometime soon, because like I said, they're a little bit short. As we go deeper into the story, however, you'll be getting nice, long updates!**

**Character Ages:**

**Ash and Misty: 20 years old**

* * *

><p>Ash Ketchum stood on the balcony of a hotel room in the Orange Islands, staring out at the beautiful blue ocean. It was mid day, and the water was calm and sparkling. The sun shone brightly over the nearby body of water, and it made the soft sand appear almost like snow.<p>

The scene was so beautiful that it seemed almost unreal: like a movie set. Of course, Ash's life in the past few months had felt like a work of fiction as well. Things just seemed too good to be true, and the young man couldn't help but to muse over the fact as he stood over the veranda's railing.

"What're you doing, Mr. Pokémon Master?"

Ash turned around, a little smile gracing his handsome young face.

"Just looking at the view Mrs. Ketchum."

"Ah, I _love_ the sound of that," the young woman giggled and walked forward, leaning over the paling to stare out at the ocean. She had always adored calling Ash by that teasing nickname, especially since he'd actually won the title of Pokémon Master just four months ago. And he, well, he loved to call her by the new name which had been bestowed upon her just a month before.

Ash chuckled quietly to himself and touched the small of his wife's back. She looked up curiously, a playful smirk appearing on her lips.

"It's pretty, isn't it Mist?" Ash inquired, looking out towards the sea again.

"It's beautiful," Misty breathed, leaning her head down on her arms, "thank you Ash."

"I just wanted to make it up to you. You know, not being able to have our honeymoon right after the wedding."

Misty stood up; staring deeply into her husband's dancing brown eyes. "Oh Ash, it's alright! I've told you a _million _times. I understand that sometimes your job has to get in the way."

"It shouldn't have to interfere with you," Ash huffed meekly, blushing just slightly.

"Oh sweetie," Misty sighed, wrapping her slender arms around Ash's strong neck. She pressed her lips against his, kissing him deeply. Ash giggled appreciatively and kissed back, gently prying her mouth open.

"Hm," Misty moaned happily, pulling back as her eyes glittered. Ash gave his spouse a confused look, to which Misty giggled. "Besides, it doesn't matter. It may be a month late, but this is our honeymoon. And we're gonna' _treat _it like a honeymoon."

"How's that?" Ash trilled.

"Oh Ash," Misty whispered seductively, "surely you know." Ash raised a wry eyebrow. Sighing, Misty grabbed at Ash's shirt and pulled the young master so close to her that their noses were touching. Sometimes she felt like she was talking to a wall.

"Let's go inside," she murmured, "it wouldn't be appropriate to do it out here."

"Oh," Ash grew wide eyed, before grinning boldly "OH."

"You're still a little dense, aren't you?" Misty purred, kissing him again. Ash began to back up, running straight into the sliding glass door.

"Ow!" He wailed, rubbing the back of his head. Misty let out an exasperated breath and moved Ash out of the way, carelessly sliding the door back so they could enter the room. Ash hopped in, and Misty followed closely behind. Immediately, Ash jumped on the bed, but Misty hesitated.

"Come on babe," Ash blinked.

"Hold on," she furrowed her brow, "don't you want to make this a little more…romantic?"

"I don't really care," Ash shrugged, "I just want to go."

"Ugh, you're such a _guy,_" Misty rolled her eyes as she placed her hands firmly on her hips.

"Mist," Ash groaned, throwing his head back on the pillows. He couldn't believe that such a beautiful girl could be so evil at times.

"Why don't you just hold on one minute?" Misty huffed, heading towards the bathroom, "unlike you, I want this to be passionate." As soon as he heard the door click, Ash growled in his throat and rolled onto his back.

_It's a good thing I left Pikachu with Mom for the week, _Ash thought as he stared at the ceiling, _considering Misty is _actually _in the mood to have a little fun._

Ash took the bothersome intermission to reflect on his and Misty's immediate future. He didn't know what they would do. Ash had to go back to work, of course. Being a Pokémon master was demanding and very tiring, but it was what Ash had dreamed of ever since he was a little kid. He certainly wasn't about to give up what he had worked so hard to achieve. Misty would have to return to running the gym as well. She had become one of Kanto's most skilled and well respected gym leaders, despite being so young. It had taken a little bit of convincing, but Ash had finally agreed to settle in Cerulean City. It would be much easier on Misty, seeing as her job was cemented there. Ash, on the other hand, had to travel quite often, so it didn't really matter where he lived. The couple had even decided to have a house built next to the gym in order to make Misty's commute a complete breeze.

After what felt like an eternity, the bathroom door creaked open, and Ash turned his head. Appearing sheepishly in front of the bed was Misty, her head down ever so slightly. She had taken her red hair out of its high back ponytail, and it now hung just below her shoulders with a playfully messy appeal. She was no longer wearing her midnight blue t-shirt or denim shorts, but rather a short and silky emerald nightgown, edged in delicate green lace.

"Whoa," Ash blinked, slowly sitting up. He quickly took note of the heavy blush forming on Misty's cheeks, but was mostly too busy staring at everything else.

"Well?" Misty choked out.

"You…you look so hot," Ash drawled. Misty snorted.

"You're doing everything but drooling from the mouth, Ash."

"But I mean it," Ash practically whined, running a hand through his messy raven hair, "like…wow. You're so…wow."

"At a loss for words," Misty chuckled, "what a rarity."

"Why'd you bother getting so dolled up though?" Ash crawled closer to her, "I mean…that pretty little nightgown of yours is coming right off." At his last words, Ash unleashed a low, hearty laugh.

"Excuse me for trying to be seductive," Misty purred, climbing onto the bed. With her face right up against Ash's, she raised one of her petite hands to Ash's broad shoulder and pushed him down with unprecedented ease.

"When did you get so strong?" Ash moaned as Misty leaned down to kiss his neck.

"I'm really not that strong," Misty mumbled against his warm skin, "you're just weak when it comes to me."

"That's…true," Ash wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling the thin young woman down on him. Their lips once again making contact, Ash sat back up, pulling Misty up with him. He fingered at one of the dress's thin spaghetti straps and pulled it off her delicate shoulder.

"Alright Mr. Pokémon Master," Misty snickered lightly, pushing her enamored husband back down, "enough with the fluffy stuff. Let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, I just love writing married Ash and Misty ^^ But I need you guys to tell me what you think! So if you wouldn't mind leaving a little review (questions, comments, general reviews, whatever!) I would greatly appreciate it!<strong>


	2. A Bad Apple

**I wasn't going to upload the next chapter so soon. Really, I wasn't going to. But the first two chapters, like I said, are really short and just introductory to the main point of the story. So I figured I'd put up the second chapter to really get this story rolling. So, enough of the author's note, enjoy the next chapter!**

* * *

><p>It had been two months since the honeymoon, and now Ash and Misty were facing another exciting milestone: Ash's twenty first birthday.<p>

It was a week away, and Misty was busy planning a surprise party for him with Delia, May, and Dawn. Brock was supposed to be helping as well, but Ash kept dragging him out to train. In a way, Misty was almost relieved, because it left her and the two younger girls to have some "girl time."

"Misty, you never told us about the honeymoon," Dawn whined. Next to her, May was busy sketching a messy picture of how the decorations should look.

"I did too," Misty chuckled, "I said it was really nice."

"Not _nearly _enough detail," Dawn groaned, tapping a pen on her cheek, "I need more than 'it was really nice.'"

"Well…what exactly do you want to hear about?" Misty raised an eyebrow.

"Everything!" Dawn squeaked, clasping her hands together.

"Err I don't know where to begin…" Misty nervously rubbed the back of her head. _Okay, _now _I wish Brock was here, _Misty thought begrudgingly, _I've never been good at girly talk._

"Let's get to what Dawn and I _really _want to know," May snickered, placing the sketchpad down on her lap.

"And what would that be?" Misty folded her arms.

"Yeah, what exactly do we want to know?" Dawn tilted her head.

Letting out a little sigh, May inquired, "did you and Ash…you know…" Misty furrowed her brow, and Dawn blinked. Suddenly realizing where May was headed, Dawn burst out into a fit of giggles, causing Misty to become somewhat panicked.

"May, what're you getting at?" Misty groaned.

"She's trying to ask if you guys slept together," Dawn trilled, some laughter still slipping out of her lips.

"May!" Misty gasped. The brunette laughed gently.

"Come on Misty, tell us!"

"Yeah!" Dawn cheered, her blue eyes dancing with mischief, "come on! Please?"

Misty sighed, but then smiled and nodded.

"You did?" May and Dawn yelped at the same time.

"Well, yeah. We're married, aren't we?"

"Yes, you are!" May grinned, "And it certainly took long enough!"

"We're only twenty!" Misty burst out laughing.

"You know what I mean," May waved a haphazard hand, "you two were so crazy in love you might as well have gotten married five years ago."

Misty continued to chuckle along with May and Dawn, but then stopped abruptly.

"Oh," she gasped a little, wincing.

"Hm?" May stopped laughing and looked curiously at her red headed friend, "Misty, are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah," Misty gave a nod, "fine."

"What happened?" Dawn leaned forward.

"Nothing," Misty shook her head, "just…got a little nauseous for a second. It's gone now though."

May and Dawn exchanged glances before shrugging and continuing to go on about decorations.

**XXX**

The next morning, Misty's eyes flickered open, and as soon as they did, she needed to shut them again. The sunlight pouring in from the windows didn't help her cause, but there was another reason for her state of discomfort.

"Oh man," she whispered quietly to herself. Despite her voice being so low, however, Ash rose, and looked down at his wife. Hearing a little groan escape from her throat, Ash began to brush through her soft red hair.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Yeah. I'm just a little sore. That's all."

Misty had to assume that this was nothing. After all, she and Ash _were _sleeping on the floor of the Cerulean City gym. Not having their home ready yet was proving to be a bit of a burden for the water type gym leader.

"Are you still up to coming with me to the tournament?" Ash hushed, "I can understand if you want to stay here."

Misty opened her eyes again and grimaced. Ash's birthday was in two days, as was a battle tournament taking place on Cinnabar Island. Scott, Ash's manager, had insisted that the young master take part in the competition, which was why Misty and the others had to hold Ash's surprise party that afternoon.

"Of course," Misty sat up in order to prove to Ash it was nothing serious, "I probably just slept the wrong way is all. Don't worry about me."

Ash giggled very lightly and showed off a weak smile, "alright. If you insist."

Grinning back, Misty gave a single nod, "I do."

**XXX**

By that afternoon, Ash was sick of training, and Misty was finding it increasingly difficult to get him out of the house. Trying to convince him to leave, however, had somehow turned into a little make out session. Poking her head around the doorway, May huffed and rolled her eyes. She glided into the room, right up behind Misty.

"Ahem," May cleared her throat. Misty didn't seem to notice. Smacking her forehead, May finally took a hold of Misty's shirt and yanked her back.

"Ow! Hey!" Misty cried, spinning around to glare at the younger girl.

"What's up May?" Ash blinked, turning a little red in embarrassment over the fact that she had seen the display.

"Oh, I just need to borrow Misty for a minute is all," May giggled, "come on girly!" Grabbing Misty's hand, May pulled her into the kitchen and firmly placed her hands on her hips.

"May," Misty whined like a child, "Ash and I were in the middle of something!"

"You're supposed to be getting him out of here, _not _sucking face!" May hissed quietly, just in case Ash was hovering nearby.

"I know," Misty groaned, "but he's so sick of training. He's been doing it all week! And no matter how much I try, he just doesn't think that anymore will do him any good."

"Ugh, why does he have to be so _stubborn?_" May wailed.

"At least you're not married to him," Misty winked playfully.

"What's the matter guys?"

The girls turned around and were pleased to find Brock standing behind them, busily drying some dishes.

"Brock!" Misty beamed, "this is perfect!"

"What's perfect?" Brock raised his eyebrows ever so slightly.

"Brock, I need you to get Ash _out _of here," Misty urged, "he won't do anymore training, which I think is like a first for him. And of course it has to happen when I _really _need him gone. Do you think maybe you could take him somewhere? Or something?"

"Hm," Brock mused for a moment, "sure, I can do that."

"Yes!" May pumped her fist victoriously.

"Thanks Brock!" Misty jumped forward excitedly and hugged the man tightly, "now, make sure you guys are gone until 4:30. That'll give us plenty of time to decorate and do everything else."

"No problem," Brock put the final dish away and walked into the family room, where Ash was busy leaning against the wall and rubbing his foot across the floor. "Ash, don't do that! You'll scuff the floor, and I'm sure your mother won't be pleased."

Ash raised his brown eyes and smirked, "yeesh Brock, are you sure that _you're _not my mother?"

"Anyway," Brock sighed, "I need to go out for awhile. Want to come?"

"No, I think I'll just stay here," Ash gave a shake of his head; "Misty and I were…getting well acquainted with each other."

"Sorry to burst your bubble," Misty rolled her eyes from the doorway, "but I have work to do. So no more making out."

"Aw," Ash sulked before raising his head, "wait, what _kind _of work?"

"Gym leader stuff," Misty replied mindlessly, "and it's going to take me all afternoon. So you might as well go with Brock."

"But…"

"No buts mister!" May finally interjected, fists held at her sides, "go!"

"Why are you guys trying to get rid of me?" Ash looked around frantically.

"Sweetheart, we aren't trying to get rid of you," Misty walked closer to her flustered husband and wrapped her arms around his neck, "we just want you to have some fun. You certainly won't have any here all by yourself."

Ash sighed sadly before giving Misty a heartwarming smile, "I guess you're right. Okay Brock, I'll tag along."

"Good," Brock smiled, "let's go then!"

Looking down, Ash grinned and kissed the top of Misty's head, "I'll miss you." Misty looked up and supplied him with a kiss on the lips.

"Aw," May cooed quietly.

"Go on now," Misty whispered lovingly. Ash chuckled and gave a single nod before following Brock out the door. Turning to May, Misty gave the brunette a triumphant smile. "Mission accomplished."

"I knew you could do it," May giggled.

"Huh, you sounded quite doubtful before," Misty teased. May shrugged, and Dawn came skipping into the room, holding a large box full of the decorations that would be used to beautify the house. Along with Dawn floated in a strong scent that was reminiscent of a sweet fruit, like apples. A _very _strong scent, Misty noted.

Groaning, she clutched her suddenly sore stomach and breathed in deeply, trying to rid herself of a wave of nausea.

"Hey Misty, what's up?" Dawn asked concernedly.

"N…nothing," Misty winced. She lowered her head and flinched, continuing to slow down and deepen her breaths.

"Misty, you don't look so good," May added.

"I'm fine you guys. Let's just start…ugh," she doubled over even further, and could almost feel all of the color drain from her face.

"Maybe you should go outside for a bit," Dawn glided over, "get some fresh air." The closer she got, the stronger the scent became, and Misty could no longer take it.

"Yeah," she choked out before pulling the door back and racing into the front yard. Dawn raised her eyebrows, and May scratched her head.

Once outside, Misty leaned over by the bushes, feeling too weak to stand. She got sick, rather violently in fact, but once it was over, she felt much better. Sighing, Misty sat down on the grass and breathed the fresh air in as much as she could. It felt good to clear the overly fruity scent out of her nostrils, and within a few minutes, Misty felt ready to go back inside.

Opening the door slowly, Misty stuck her head in first to check for the smell. She couldn't detect it, and therefore deemed it okay to walk inside fully. There was no one else in the family room, but the box of decorations was sitting untouched on the floor. Smiling weakly, Misty walked over to it and began picking out things to hang up.

As she was busy twisting some red streamers, the fruity scent returned, and Misty could feel her stomach churning again.

"What is going _on,_" she mumbled angrily to herself. Turning around, Misty saw Dawn leaning into the box. It was like the source of Misty's torture was following the young bluenette around. Dawn looked up from the box, her hands now full of various decorations, and she gasped when she saw the older red head.

"Misty, you look so pale!"

"Huh?" Misty whispered distractedly, clutching at her stomach again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Dawn began to walk closer to Misty. The scent, once again, became stronger.

Gasping, Misty covered her mouth, and from behind it, cried, "Dawn! Stop!" The younger girl blinked confusedly, but stopped right where she was.

"What is it?" Dawn inquired.

"Are you wearing perfume?" Misty hurried the words out, trying to force the threatening rush of illness back down her throat.

"Yeah," Dawn nodded slowly, "why?"

"I don't want to sound rude but I think it's making me sick," Misty could taste the bile in her mouth.

"Oh, is that what the problem is?" Dawn grew wide eyed before giggling, "I'm sorry Misty! It's my new perfume; apple scented. I bought it on the way here. _I _liked it, but May said it was too strong. Maybe she was right. Do you want me to try and wash it off?"

Misty nodded quickly, still covering her mouth. Dawn hurried up the stairs to where the bathroom was, and as she did that, Misty ran back outside to get sick again.

* * *

><p><strong>Aw, poor Misty is a little bit sick it seems. How were these introductory chapters for you guys? Likeable? Readable? :P I certainly hope so. I'm working on the next chapter, which will really introduce the heart of the story and will be MUCH longer than the first two chapters.<strong>

**Until then, would you be so kind as to leave a little review for me? They're awesome and make me happy! :P And then maybe you'll get the next chapter a little sooner ;)**


	3. Just a Little Sea Sick

**Hello again readers! Here's the first of the longer chapters I've promised you! A big point of the story is revealed in this chapter, so I'm very excited for you all to read it! The feedback I've gotten for this story so far has been great, so I hope you all enjoy this new update! I'm hoping to keep my updates as constant as they've been so far, but with school finishing up in the next 3 weeks, it might be a little difficult. But I will try my best!**

**Ages:**

**Ash: 21**

**Misty: 20**

**Brock: 26**

**May: 18**

**Dawn: 17**

* * *

><p>Two days later, on Ash's actual birthday, the group was on a boat headed for Cinnabar Island. May and Dawn had decided to tag along for the tournament, and Brock and Scott were coming as usual.<p>

While everyone else was chatting away happily on the deck, Ash sat worriedly next to Misty, hugging her close to him.

"You shouldn't have come you know," Ash whispered caringly, "you're so sick."

"I am not," Misty huffed quietly, "I have no fever. That's the only thing that makes you _officially _sick." Ash rolled his eyes at his wife's stubborn attitude. "Just because I've been throwing up a lot doesn't mean I'm sick. I probably ate something bad."

"I guess," Ash shrugged, "just so you know, I didn't tell anyone else about this. It's just between us."

"But May and Dawn know I've been getting sick."

"As far as I know, they're only aware of you getting sick the day of the party," Ash commented, "they said you threw up twice, but then you were okay." In reality, Misty had thrown up five times in total that day, but she refused to let them know that. The day before hadn't been as bad. She'd only gotten sick three times, although Ash was only aware of two of them.

"Well, I haven't thrown up today," Misty grumbled, "so I think we're going to be okay." Ash smiled lightly and nuzzled the top of Misty's head.

"Hey birthday boy," a sing song voice came from before the couple. Ash and Misty both looked up to see May standing in front of them, a wide smile plastered on her face.

"Hi May," Ash chuckled in response.

"Scott says he has a surprise for you," May held out her hand, "come on!"

"It better not be another surprise party," Ash laughed, allowing May to pull him off the bench, "as nice as the one you guys threw me was, I think I'm all partied out." Indeed, Ash had drunk _just _a little too much the day of his party, despite still being _legally_ underage. He kept offering Misty some, but she had denied it every time. It wasn't because she was underage; she didn't really care about that. She just felt too sick to even attempt it.

"I'm pretty sure that's not it," May grinned as she led Ash and Misty towards the rest of the group. Scott was grinning mischievously, his hands being held behind his back.

"Alright Scott, what've you got there?" Ash chuckled heartily.

"Didn't May tell you a surprise?" Scott beamed.

"Yeah, but I want to see what it is!"

"Alright, alright," Scott laughed as he revealed the object to the excited young master, "happy birthday Ash!" It was a nice looking cake, with Ash's name spelt out in icing.

"Wow, food, my favorite!" Ash cheered, chuckling as he did so.

"Yeah!" Dawn smiled, taking the cake from her friend's manager, "enjoy it!" And with that, she jumped forward and smashed the treat into Ash's face.

"Ash!" Misty shrieked laughingly. Dawn moved away from the young man, eagerly awaiting a reaction. At first, all Ash did was blink, causing some frosting to fall from his eyelashes. After a few seconds, he began to roar with laughter, more cake and icing falling to the floor as he did so. He moved his tongue up over his lips and ate some of the treat of his face. "Mm, good. Want some Misty?"

"What do I have to do?" Misty scoffed playfully, "lick your face?" She stuck her tongue out disgustedly.

"No!" Ash giggled, "Just kiss me."

"Ah, I see." Misty leaned forward, pursing her lips for a smooch. As she got closer, however, she could smell the cake. It had apples in it. _These damn apples! _She swore in her mind. Quickly turning away from Ash, Misty ran to the side of the boat, and, for the ninth time in total, threw up.

"Ugh," Misty moaned, placing her forehead on the cool railing. Ash was behind her now, although Misty hadn't bothered to take notice, and rubbing her back.

"Mist," Ash whispered worriedly to her.

"I'm FINE," she stormed, standing up to her full height. She turned to glare at Ash, but despite the hostile look, her eyes were full of pain and confusion. Ash sighed sadly and grabbed the woman's hand, pulling her in close to him.

"Misty, dear, are you…" Scott began to inquire. But he was interrupted by Misty tearing out of Ash's arms in order to vomit yet again. Ash closed his eyes and groaned, going to stroke Misty's back once again. Before he could make contact, however, Misty had snapped up and was now backing away from Ash, staring angrily at him.

"Misty, what is going on?" Ash demanded softly, folding his arms.

"I don't think we should be overreacting Ash," Scott tried to mollify the frustrated master, although his own tone was wavering, "if I were to guess, I'd say Misty is just a little sea sick."

"I'm not sea sick!" Misty gasped for breath, leaning her side on the railing, "I'm the leader of a _water _type gym for Arceus' sake. I've never been sea sick a day in my life."

"There _is _a first time for everything Misty," Brock suggested.

"I am _not _sea sick," Misty replied adamantly again, "I know what it is! It's the damn cake all over Ash's face!" Ash furrowed his brow. "It's an apple cake," Misty continued grumpily, "I don't like the scent of apples. It makes me sick."

"Misty," Ash began to reason with her, "You've always _liked _apples. The scent can't be making you sick all of a sudden."

"Well it is!" Misty bit back before covering her mouth again, "just clean it off your face, please."

"Alright, fine," Ash sighed exasperatedly. May handed the raven haired man a towel, and he hurriedly wiped all the cake off of him. "Better?"

Misty took in a deep breath and nodded slowly.

"Good," Ash gave a nod, "now, why don't you come back here?" He held out a hand and smiled sheepishly at the tired red head. She grinned weakly and began to walk back to her caring husband. As she did, however, she suddenly became lightheaded. _Very _lightheaded. Gasping, she grabbed her head and doubled over.

"Misty?" Ash murmured. Misty released a tiny whimper before nearly falling over. "Misty!" Ash cried out now, racing forward. He grabbed the slender girl, and she rolled over weakly so her head was buried into his chest. "Misty, what is it?" Ash shook her gently.

"My head," Misty mumbled, almost inaudibly, "I'm dizzy."

By now, Brock had hurried over to the two, and had Misty's wrist between his fingers. "Her heart rate is a little slow," Brock looked up at Ash, who was quickly losing color.

"What do I do?" Ash wailed, holding Misty closer to him. She grunted as her head was crushed too deeply into Ash's chest. "Sorry Mist," Ash frowned and pulled her away.

"Lie her down," Brock nodded, "and we'll go from there." Ash bit his lip and placed Misty carefully on the nearby bench. She moaned a little as he did so, causing Ash to gasp fearfully.

"Are you okay?" He cried.

"Mm, I'm just sore," Misty shrugged her shoulders backwards.

"Forget this; you need to go to a doctor!" Ash huffed, kneeling down next to Misty's head. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. Her typically bright emerald eyes were dulled with indescribable pain, and she was still quite pale. Ash opened his mouth to say something else, but as he did, he was interrupted by a loud whistle.

"We're here," Scott announced softly, walking over to Ash.

"I…I can't compete," Ash lowered his eyes, "not with Misty like this."

"Yes you can," Misty responded hoarsely, "go on."

"What?" Ash's eyes flared, "Misty, I'm not leaving you like this! You must be crazy!"

"We'll watch her Ash," May chimed in from behind the master, "I promise nothing will happen to her under my watch."

"Or mine!" Dawn added.

Ash winced and looked away. Suddenly, he felt something gently touch the bottom of his jaw. Turning slowly, he quickly realized it was Misty's hand. Raising his own, he lightly gripped her thin wrist and began brushing his fingers over the front of her hand.

"Ash, please," Misty whispered, "go. I'll be just fine. May and Dawn would never lie to you. Please."

Ash let out another soft whimper, and Misty flashed him a weak smile. Blushing, Ash finally returned the grin and gave a nod.

"Alright. I'll go. Just rest dear. As soon as we get home, the very first thing I'm going to do is take you to a doctor. And we'll fix you."

"Okay."

Ash leaned down and gave Misty a kiss. She giggled feebly and returned the display of affection. Pulling away, Ash touched her cheek once last time before turning to Scott.

"You're ready?" Scott inquired. Ash nodded.

"Misty, would you like me to stay with you as well?" Brock asked cautiously.

"No, it's okay. Go with Ash. I know he likes to have someone there to cheer him on. If it can't be me, it has to be you."

"Alright," Brock smiled.

"We'll just hang around the ship while you battle," May informed the males, moving closer to Misty.

"No need to worry," Dawn waved her hand, "we'll be good here."

"Pika…"

Pikachu appeared before the group, stretching out after his nice long nap in a shady area of the ship. Seeing Misty lying down, the electric type shrieked fearfully and bounded up to her.

"Pikachupi!" He frowned.

"I'm okay Pikachu," Misty hushed, "May, Dawn, and I will stay here and relax. You go help Ash to victory. Can you do that for me?"

"Pi!" Pikachu nodded proudly.

"Awesome," Misty smiled before closing her eyes again. Once she was sure the men had gone, she opened them up and rose very slowly.

"You don't want to lie down anymore?" Dawn frowned. Misty shook her head, and the two younger females sat at either of her sides.

"I need to tell you guys something," Misty whispered. May and Dawn began to eye their older friend worriedly.

"What is it Misty?" May nudged the red head with her elbow.

Taking a deep breath, Misty stated very blankly, "I'm late."

Dawn simply blinked, "late to what?" Misty stared intently at the bluenette, and once she knew for sure that Dawn didn't understand what she had meant, she sighed tiredly.

"I'm _late _late."

"Her 'friend'," May used air quotes to emphasize her point, "you know, the one that visits every month?"

"OH!" Dawn trilled, before her face became gloomy again.

"I've never been late before," Misty wrapped her arms around herself, "not once in my entire life."

"Does Ash know this?" Dawn leaned in.

"No," Misty's eyes widened, "why would I ever tell him that?"

"I don't know, it just sounds kinda' serious…" Dawn rubbed her upper arm nervously.

"What are you getting at Misty?" May slightly lowered her head, although she was fairly certain she knew what was coming next.

"I think…I'm pregnant."

This revelation was met with uncomfortable silence, the two younger girls staring at their friend. Finally, Dawn was the one to break the quiet.

"You mean…with Ash's baby?"

"Who else's would it be?" Misty furrowed her brow. It began to twitch, until finally a small tear escaped from her eye.

"Misty, are you crying?" May asked softly. A tiny hiccup emitted from Misty's mouth, to indicate that the answer to May's inquiry was a yes.

"What's there to be upset about?" Dawn hugged Misty close, "this could be a good thing! Heck, it _is _a good thing! If you really are gonna' have a baby, it'll be so _completely _adorable, and…"

"Ash will _hate me!_" Misty blurted through gritted teeth. More tears spilled down her cheeks, and she began to cry even harder.

"Why would Ash hate you if you're pregnant?" May tried.

"Because…it isn't fair to him," Misty sniffed, keeping her head down, "he _just _became a Pokémon Master six months ago. And…we've only been married for _three _months! Not to mention…Ash _just _turned twenty one today, and I'm still only twenty! We're so young, it happened too soon…"

Misty was soon immersed into an all out bawl, her body convulsing with sobs.

"Misty, please don't cry!" Dawn hugged the red head even tighter.

"Yeah, Ash could _never _hate you! Not ever!" May added as she wrapped her own arms around Misty. Slowly, Misty began to calm down, although she still refused to look up.

"But…you don't know for _sure_…right?" Dawn asked. Misty shook her head. "Hey May, are there shops on the island?"

"Err, yeah…" May blinked.

"So, go buy Misty a pregnancy test!"

"Are you insane?" May jumped up, a blush crawling up onto her cheeks, "I am NOT going to buy a pregnancy test! They're gonna' think it's for me!"

"But it's _not _for you!"

"Yeah, but they don't know that, and I'm sure as hell not _explaining _to them _why _I'm buying a pregnancy test! If you want it so bad, _you _go get it!"

"I'm even younger than you!" Dawn was red in the face now too, "I certainly don't want them to think things about _me!_"

"Guys," Misty suddenly squeaked. May and Dawn instantly quit bickering and looked down at their terrified friend. "I can't go and buy a test myself. The paparazzi follow Ash _everywhere. _If they get a picture of me buying a _pregnancy test, _I'm done for."

"She's right," May sighed.

"So what do we do?" Dawn mused.

"Would you guys both go?" Misty sniffed again, slowly looking up. May and Dawn stared back at her incredulously. "_Please? _No one's gonna' question you, and even if they do, you'll never see these people again, so who cares?"

"But…we told Ash we wouldn't leave you alone!" May tried desperately to get out of the awkward situation.

"It'll take you guys like…ten minutes," Misty begged, "I have my Pokémon with me if I _really _need to protect myself," she rolled her eyes at this, knowing the chances of running into danger on a docked ship were extremely low.

"I don't know," Dawn looked down sheepishly.

"I really need you to do this for me," Misty looked between them, "_please. _I won't move from this spot, and I won't say a word. No one has to know that you guys went out and bought me the test. _Please._"

"Fine!" May threw her hands up, giving in to Misty's pleas, "but you owe us one Misty."

"Fair enough," Misty smiled weakly, "thanks guys."

"Dawn, let's go."

"Do I have to?" Dawn sulked.

"YES."

"Ugh, fine," Dawn rose slowly and trudged after May, who was walking quickly_, _"let's get this over with."

"Remember," May took a deep breath and tried to get her heavy blush to subside, "this is for Misty."

**XXX**

After returning to the ship with the test in hand, May and Dawn began to pressure Misty into taking it right away.

"I…I'm not ready for this," Misty winced, shaking her head.

"Well, you're going to have to find out sooner or later," May reasoned, "you might as well make it now." Misty groaned and stood up, snatching the test from May's fingers. She headed to the rest room and, before going in, turned back around to face her friends.

"What now?" May whined, folding her arms.

"I'm scared," Misty whispered, looking down at her feet.

"Misty, there's nothing to be scared of!" Dawn trilled, hoping to comfort the older girl, "for all you know, you might _not _be pregnant! I mean, it sounds kind of likely that you _are_, but…you never know!"

Misty simply blinked at the bluenette before responding sardonically, "was that supposed to help?"

"Just go!" May wailed, grabbing Misty's shoulders, "you certainly want to get this over with before Ash comes back."

"You have a point," Misty sighed, shrugging her shoulders forward. She trudged into the room and locked the door, leaving May and Dawn outside to wait.

"May," Dawn whispered, although there was really no reason seeing as Misty wouldn't be able to hear them anyway, "what if she really _is _pregnant?"

"I don't know," May shrugged.

"Do you think she has a point? Is there a chance that Ash might be upset?"

"No way!" May shook her head, although she wasn't so sure her response was accurate, "he loves her more than anything in the world. Having a baby wouldn't change anything."

"I sure hope not," Dawn bit her lip.

After fifteen minutes, as May leaned against a wall and Dawn paced the floor, Misty reappeared, her face emotionless.

"Well?" Dawn squeaked, stopping in her tracks. May walked over to the two other girls and stared expectantly between them. Misty remained perfectly still.

"Come on Misty, what did it say?" May asked softly. Her features still unchanging, Misty moved her hands from behind her back and held the results in front of the curious girls. They both leaned down to get a closer look at the tiny image on the stick.

"It's…a plus sign," Dawn commented simply.

"Which means its positive," May breathed. The younger girls looked up at Misty, wide eyed and gaping.

"Why are you two staring at me like that?" Misty wailed, backing up. She stared deeply into their eyes, and felt almost as if they were scrutinizing her. Instinctively, she wrapped an arm around her stomach, not bothering to move it when May and Dawn appeared shocked by the action.

"Misty!" Dawn squealed, running forward and hugging her tight. Misty grunted in pain at Dawn's strength, but finally freed an arm to hug her back.

"This is so great!" May clapped her hands, "that would also explain why the scent of apples is making you sick." Dawn pulled away from Misty and began to giggle relentlessly. Misty, meanwhile, resumed her static look.

"What am I going to tell Ash?" Misty whispered miserably. May and Dawn's cheering stopped instantly as they began to ponder that thought.

"You could always not tell him," Dawn tried, "then he won't notice until you start showing!"

"I could never do that," Misty shook her head feverously, "it isn't fair to him. Besides, as soon as we get home, he's going to take me the doctor."

"So wait until then," Dawn suggested, "maybe he'll take the news better if the _doctor_ tells him!"

"I can't," Misty winced as some more tears began to fall, "I can't keep this from him!" As she started to cry again, Misty placed a hand on her stomach, "I know I'm pregnant now. I can almost _feel _the baby inside of me! _Ash's _baby. He needs to know!"

May touched Misty's shoulder as the red head brushed away the spheres of water falling down her cheeks.

"I know you're scared Misty," May started, "but I think it would be easiest to tell Ash as soon as he comes back. Get it over with. Dawn and I can hide nearby in case you need us. Okay?" Misty sniffed but nodded her head.

"Thank you guys," Misty smiled weakly, "you're the best you know." May and Dawn each gave a little grin and engulfed Misty into another embrace.

**XXX**

"That battle was phenomenal Ash!" Brock smiled at the young raven haired master as the trio marched back to the ship.

"Well, Pikachu really helped me out there, didn't you buddy?" Ash raised his brown eyes up to the yellow mouse who sat idly on his head.

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked affirmatively, causing Ash and Brock to laugh cheerfully.

"Well, you're quite fortunate Ash," Scott beamed, "you have a lot of events coming up in the near future, but for the next few weeks, you're all free."

"Which means Misty and I get some quality time together," Ash smiled foolishly, "finally!"

"Finally? Your honeymoon was only two months ago," Brock snorted.

"Yeah, but that's like an _eternity _Brock!" Ash chuckled, "I need to spend more time with my Mist."

Climbing aboard the boat, Ash was relieved to see Misty sitting in the same spot in which he'd left her. The red head was sitting up now, not lying down in pain like she had been when he'd departed, and talking quietly with May and Dawn.

"Guess who's back!" Ash called playfully, his eyes sparkling. The girls turned their attention to him, and then to each other. Misty frowned at her counterparts.

"Go on," May nudged Misty gently, "it'll be okay."

"No need to worry," Dawn agreed with a smile. Misty let a giggle slip before growing serious again and giving a slight nod. Standing up, she approached Ash, nervously fumbling her hands behind her back.

"Is something wrong honey?" Ash inquired softly, "Do you feel sick again?"

"Uh, not right now. It's just…we need to talk."

"Okay."

Misty eyed Brock and Scott over Ash's shoulder, causing the young master to turn his head. "Alone."

"Oh, I see," Ash turned back around. Misty took Ash's hand into hers, causing the young master to smile warmly. The nervous young woman pulled Ash off to the side of the boat, so that their conversation wouldn't be audible to the rest of the group.

"What is it you want to talk about?" Ash ran a hand down the back of Misty's head. She frowned and looked away rather sheepishly.

"I…figured out why I've been so sick," Misty nearly whispered.

"Oh, what a relief!" Ash sighed, although Misty didn't at all look less tense, "what is it angel?"

Wincing, Misty turned back to Ash and stared into his young, handsome face. He was still smiling at her, and Misty could feel tears threatening again. Her throat began to tighten, and Misty knew she had to get the words out before she got too choked up.

"I'm…pregnant."

Ash grew wide eyed and pale. Misty's shoulders shrugged forward, and she lowered her head.

"…what?" Ash blinked.

"I'm pregnant," Misty repeated more strongly, and more miserably. She began to cry for the third time that day, this fit more forceful than any of the previous ones. As she sobbed, Misty suddenly felt something pressing against her sides, and she shifted her head curiously. Ash had placed his hands there, and was now squeezing her gently. Misty looked up sniffing, and was more than shocked to see Ash smiling sweetly.

"You're really pregnant?" He beamed.

"Well, I…I took a test, and it said I was…"

"I can't believe this," Ash chuckled, squeezing Misty a little more tightly, "we're gonna have a baby!"

"Err, yeah," Misty blushed gently.

"Why are you crying sweetheart?" Ash frowned suddenly, wiping the remaining tears away from Misty's emerald eyes, "aren't you happy?"

Misty thought about this for a second, before responding, "Yes. I'm very happy. I was just afraid…well…that you were going to be upset."

"How could I ever be upset about this?" Ash smirked, "I'm going to be a dad!"

"But…we've hardly been married…and you're a fairly new Pokémon Master…"

"It'll take a lot of adjusting," Ash nodded, "but we can make it work. I never want you to come last, and now, I never want our _baby _to come last."

"Oh Ash," Misty reached up to touch his face. Ash chuckled and leaned down to give her a gentle kiss on the lips.

With their lips still touching, Ash preceded to whisper, "thank you for the best birthday gift ever."

"You're welcome," Misty pulled away, rubbing at her teary eyes to clear away the rest of the water. As she did so, she suddenly felt a brush against her stomach. A hand. Gazing down yet again, Misty caught sight of a fingerless gloved hand touching her midsection.

"So…there's a baby in here?"

Misty giggled and looked back up at Ash, "yes, there is."

"_Our_ baby," Ash added whimsically. Misty gingerly placed her own hand over Ash's, before gasping and pulling away.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" Ash blinked. Before Misty could answer, she was leaning over the edge of the boat, getting violently ill. Sighing sadly, Ash glided forward, calmly rubbing Misty's back.

**XXX**

Later that day, Misty allowed Ash to tell Brock of their happy news, but she refused to let him tell Scott.

"Why?" Ash asked curiously.

"I _know _he's not going to be happy," Misty responded sadly, "and he'll probably tell the media. I…don't want anyone else to know Ash. I want _something _to remain just between us, our family, and our friends. Not the entire public."

Ash nodded and gave Misty an encouraging smile, "whatever you want Mist."

* * *

><p><strong>So, there we have it! Things are really going to start rolling now. Again, I'll try to get the next update up as soon as possible. I don't like to keep you all waiting!<strong>

**Until then, keep on reading and leaving your awesome, much appreciated reviews!**


	4. Danger Ahead

**Hello there! So I figured I would upload this chapter because it's _really_ long (almost 7,000 words! New personal record!), it's exciting, and next week is my last full week of school with a week long final intermixed with finals review. So my free time is going to be severely cut. This chapter should tide you all over for awhile, though! **

**Character Ages:**

**Ash: 21**

**Misty: 20**

**Delia: 40**

* * *

><p>Two days later, upon returning home, Ash brought Misty to a doctor, just as he wanted.<p>

"Why do we have to come here?" Misty shifted uncomfortably, "we know I'm pregnant." The girl absolutely _hated _going to the doctor's, no matter what it was for. She always felt that the only thing that could come out of the visits was a negative.

"Well, we should make _sure,_" Ash stressed his last word, "not to mention you need to be taken care of properly." His back was to Misty, and she couldn't really understand why. "Besides, you don't have to worry. I got this doctor's name from the league, and _obviously _they'll only give the master the very best." Misty narrowed her eyes at her husband's egotistical mind lapse and gave him a gentle smack on the arm. He still didn't turn around. Peering over his shoulder, Misty gasped at what the young man held in his hands.

"Ashy," she whispered softly, "are you…reading?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" Ash turned around excitedly, placing the open book in his lap.

"I've never seen you read _anything _besides a menu," Misty's eyes sparked mischievously, "so what are you suddenly so absorbed in?"

"Uh, nothing," Ash blushed, turning away sheepishly.

"Come on, I wanna' see!" Misty reached out to snatch the book. Ash held it at a far distance.

"No, Misty!" He whined.

"Come on, give me it!" Misty placed her hands on her hips. Ash shifted his gaze and caught sight of another couple staring wide eyed at him and Misty. He couldn't tell if it was because he was the master, or because the two were bickering like five year olds. But he was going to go with the latter.

"Fine," Ash huffed, giving up the book. Misty squeaked delightfully and took it into her hands. "Don't think you're gonna' get spoiled now just because you're pregnant."

Misty rolled her eyes playfully and began to scan the book. She read over the page Ash was on, and began to furrow her brow. A warm sensation filled her then, and she looked up at Ash with pure admiration.

"You're reading a pregnancy book?" She cooed gently.

"Uh, no…" Ash blushed and nervously rubbed the back of his head.

"Yes you are," Misty continued to smile as she turned her attention back to the book, "don't be embarrassed sweetheart. It's so sweet of you!"

"Heh," Ash shrugged, "I just want to make sure I take care of you is all. I…don't really know anything about pregnancy. Like, I didn't really understand why you've been throwing up so much. But I do now! I read in the book, it's called morning sickness. But that doesn't make much sense considering you get sick all day," he frowned at his last statement.

"Yeah, whoever decided to call it that was a moron," Misty winced, fighting off the familiar wave of nausea.

"How far along do you think you are?" Ash whispered into Misty's ear. She thought about this for a moment.

"I'd say about two months, almost two and a half. It had to have happened on our honeymoon."

"Misty?" a doctor suddenly called out. Misty looked up at him, and her heart leapt.

"That's the doctor?" Misty whispered to Ash with a smile, "nice work, Ash. He's cute!"

"Hey!" Ash's tone was flooded with hurt, "you're married to _me! _And having my baby no less!" Misty giggled and grabbed his hand, pulling him up.

"Alright, enough grumbling," Misty teased, "let's go!"

"You didn't want to be here ten minutes ago," Ash seethed quietly.

"Yeah, but that's before I saw how _handsome _the doctor was!" Misty winked, "besides, you _did _say he was the best!" In response, Ash groaned and furrowed his brow.

"Hello there," the young physician greeted, "my name is Dr. Aaron. It's nice to meet you! Please, follow me."

Misty walked merrily behind the doctor, memorizing his tousled, light brown hair and sparkling golden eyes. Behind her, Ash was glaring, eyes full of jealousy.

"So, you're the famous Pokémon master, Ash Ketchum?" Dr. Aaron asked with a smile as he led Misty and Ash into a room.

"Uh, yeah," Ash gave a slight nod, "hey, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure," the doctor blinked.

"Can you not…tell anyone about the baby?" He whispered. Misty was becoming more comfortable with the fact that she was expecting, and suddenly wanted to tell _everyone_. Ash, however, had grown to like Misty's wish to keep it a secret, and wanted to take control of the situation. Not to mention he couldn't shake off the fact that there was something wrong with Misty. She had nearly fainted again the night before.

"I wouldn't think of it," Dr. Aaron smiled, "your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks," Ash breathed out. The two males walked fully into the room, where Misty was already sitting down, a bright smile plastered onto her face.

"Now, you said you've taken a pregnancy test?" Dr. Aaron read off a clipboard. Misty nodded with a slight blush. "Alright, well, we're going to do another one."

"Why?" Misty blinked.

"Just in case," Dr. Aaron winked, handing Misty a plastic cup, "besides, this test is a little more accurate."

"Uh, do I need to…"

"A urine sample, yes."

Ash snickered, earning himself a glare from Misty, along with her mouthing the words '_grow up.'_

"The bathroom is right down the hall," Dr. Aaron smiled at Misty. She grinned back, once again causing Ash's heart to jump. On her way out, Misty made sure to stomp on Ash's foot.

"Ooow…" Ash wailed in a hushed tone. Dr. Aaron stared curiously at him, and Ash laughed nervously. "Must be those hormones I was reading about," Ash smirked, his voice still a little high pitched.

"Ah, so this is yours?" Dr. Aaron smirked, holding up the book that Misty had put down on a chair.

"Uh, maybe…"

"It's okay, I'm not judging," the doctor laughed heartily, "it's actually quite nice of you. So, you have a basic understanding of what Misty will be going through?"

"I didn't get too far in that book," Ash shook his head, "I just started reading it this morning. All I know so far is the morning sickness, the soreness, and the hormones. It's weird though. The book didn't say anything about fainting…"

"Fainting?" Dr. Aaron raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Ash gave a nod, "Misty has pretty much fainted twice. But she didn't want to put it on the form. She claims it's normal." The doctor scratched the back of his head and added something to the chart. Ash quickly became worried. "That's not normal, is it?"

Dr. Aaron opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Misty came back into the room, her smile still glittering.

"I gave the sample to a nurse," Misty informed the doctor boldly, sitting back down.

"Excellent," he nodded, "we'll get those results in a few minutes. Now Misty, while you were gone, Ash informed me you've experienced some fainting spells."

"Oh," Misty blinked, "yeah, but that's nothing serious. Right?"

Taking a deep breath, Dr. Aaron responded, "it's not necessarily a good thing." Misty started to look panicked, and Ash took a long sigh.

"Is there a way to test me for anything serious?" Misty nearly whispered.

"Yes. We just need to take a blood sample."

"B…blood?" Misty shivered.

"That's right."

Misty looked fearfully towards Ash. She _hated _needles, and he knew it. She begged him with her eyes, but Ash felt they had no choice. Giving her a shake of the head, Ash turned back to Dr. Aaron and announced, "let's do that."

"Ash!" Misty hissed quietly, tears beginning to fill her eyes.

"Mist, you can hold my hand," Ash comforted, walking forward with an outstretched hand, "squeeze as hard as you want. But we really need to make sure you're okay."

Misty bit her lip, not wanting to admit Ash was right. It was just part of her proud, stubborn personality. She slipped her hand into Ash's, and he gripped hers gently. Dr. Aaron approached the young woman, needle in hand, as he pulled her right arm towards him, "it'll just be a little pinch. One quick second."

He stuck it into her skin, causing Misty to let out a tiny shriek as she squeezed Ash's hand tightly. He winced, but refused to let go. Even after the doctor had removed the pesky point, Misty still wouldn't release her hold of Ash's hand.

"I'll be right back," Dr. Aaron walked towards the door, "I just need to take this to the lab." Once he was outside, Ash finally had to pull away, gasping a little.

"Oh man, Misty!" Ash cried, holding his hand close to his chest, "I don't care _what _you say! You're _strong!_"

"Only when I'm scared!" Misty bit back, before cowering, "I'm terrified of needles. And blood, to a lesser extent."

"Yeah, I know," Ash stroked Misty's leg with his good hand, "but we need to make sure everything's okay." Misty gave a little smile and a nod.

Dr. Aaron returned fairly quickly, his face looking bright. "Well, Misty, the good news is your first test was positive. You're officially pregnant."

Misty beamed, and Ash gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"What about the blood work?" He inquired as he turned away from Misty's soft skin.

"That'll take another day or so," Dr. Aaron replied as he went through some papers, scribbling on them and then stuffing them in a folder. "Now, we can do one last thing before I let you go," he continued without looking up from his work.

"What is that?" Misty tilted her head.

Looking up, Dr. Aaron smiled, "would you like to see your baby?"

Misty grinned and nodded feverously, "of course!"

"How can we see it?" Ash raised an eyebrow, "isn't it, you know, in there?" He looked down at Misty's midsection.

"Yes, it is," the doctor laughed, "but we can see it using a special machine. It's called an ultrasound."

"You _really_ haven't gotten far into that book, have you?" Misty asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Heh, not really," Ash chuckled, nervously rubbing the back of his head.

"So, should we go for it?" Dr. Aaron inquired.

"Yes!" Misty's eyes were gleaming.

"Okay," Dr. Aaron gave a small nod, "now Misty, all you've got to do is lie down and pull your shirt up." Silently complying, Misty leaned back and lifted the material off of her skin. Ever curious, Ash leaned in a little and gasped.

Misty's stomach was no longer as flat as it usually was. The change was barely noticeable; she just looked bloated in fact. No stranger would be able to tell she was pregnant, but even at this stage, Ash could tell. He showed a little smile. _I know her too well, _Ash thought fondly.

"What are you smiling at?"

Ash snapped out of his trance and turned his gaze to Misty. She was furrowing her brow and giving him a highly confused stare.

"Oh, nothing," Ash shook his head, raven hair covering his eyes as he did so.

"Next, I'll put this gel onto your stomach," he held up the tube, and Misty just blinked, "don't worry. It doesn't hurt or anything of the sort. It's just very cold is all."

He squeezed it on, and Misty grew wide eyed.

"AH," she shrieked a little. Ash quickly became concerned, grabbing onto her hand.

"Are you okay?" He squeezed tightly.

"Yes, it's just _freezing,_" Misty replied through gritted teeth.

"There we go," the doctor mumbled to himself before announcing, "and finally, I'll just move this," he held up a wand like device for Ash and Misty to see, "over your belly. Then we'll be able to see the baby on this screen," he motioned his head towards the object behind him.

Running the stick over Misty's stomach, Dr. Aaron stared intently at the screen, obviously looking for something. Ash and Misty, meanwhile, were just confused. The entire screen was gray and white, with not much changing as the doctor moved the wand around.

"The inside of your stomach is boring," Ash mumbled to his wife.

"Shut it," she gently smacked his arm with the back of her hand.

"Found it!" The doctor suddenly cheered. He turned back to the young couple, who began to look studiously at the screen.

"I…don't see anything," Ash shrugged.

"I…can…I think," Misty blinked. She reached out with her right hand and pointed at a dark blob like shape on the screen. "Is that it?"

"Yes," Dr. Aaron smiled, "that's your baby."

"Aw!" Misty squealed, her eyes shimmering. Ash was enamored as well, but on a slightly smaller scale. It looked nothing like a baby to him.

"Have you felt anything yet?" The physician inquired.

"Aside from right before I throw up?" Misty responded playfully.

"Yes," he laughed.

"I've felt a little flutter once or twice."

"Good," he removed the wand and cleaned Misty off, "it'll start nudging soon enough." Misty giggled excitedly at the prospect.

"You should come back in about a month for another check up," Dr. Aaron instructed kindly.

"Okay," Misty smiled.

"What about the blood work?" Ash finally spoke. Misty cast him a gentle look.

"I'll call you when we have it," he nodded, "that should be within the next day or so."

Ash gave a single nod and glanced worriedly at Misty, who appeared to be the happiest person in the entire world.

**XXX**

Walking home, Ash decided to take a different route; through the woods. It would take them a bit longer to get back to Cerulean City, where the two were currently residing in the gym, but it would keep the paparazzi at bay. Ash's number one priority was always keeping Misty safe, but now it was more important than ever.

"I wish our house would be finished," Ash could hear Misty murmur from behind him, "I don't really want to be living with a baby in the gym. It's not exactly the greatest environment for a little one." The couple had agreed it would be best to have a house built next to the gym, but it was nowhere near finished. Of course, little had they known that during the process, they'd be expecting a child.

"It won't be so bad," Ash responded cheerily, staring up at the trees that surrounded him, "I want our baby to be surrounded by Pokémon from the minute its born."

"You'd better not expect me to have all our Pokémon out when I'm giving birth," Misty replied snappily. Ash stopped short and took a deep breath. _Damn it, _he cursed silently.

"Hey, why'd you stop?" Misty demanded. Ash turned around and gave her a wide eyed gawk, causing Misty to step back a little.

"Hormones," Ash deadpanned, "your hormones are going crazy." His words were met by silence. Misty could only stare at him. And then, she exploded.

"EXCUSE ME?" She fumed, balling her hands into fists at her sides.

"I…I'm just saying…" Ash began backing away, waving his hands in front of him, "I mean…the book said it would happen…"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT THE BOOK SAYS!" Misty continued marching towards Ash, her brow heavily furrowed, "DON'T YOU _DARE _COMMENT ON MY PROBLEMS KETCHUM!"

"That's your last name too," Ash mumbled, causing Misty to grow even angrier, "but Mist…"

Suddenly, a strange rustling noise sounded, causing Ash to look around once more, and Misty to curb her fury.

"W…what was that?" Misty whispered, her body starting to tremble with fear. From the tops of the trees emerged a dozen or so angry Beedrill, their eyes glowing a fierce red and their stingers pointing out dangerously.

"Misty…" Ash soothed in a hushed tone, "don't…move…don't…"

"AAAAAH!" Misty screamed and took off, straight past Ash. Agitated by her actions, the Beedrill called out to one another and took after the frightened red head.

"Misty!" Ash yelled, chasing after her. His heart began to pound so furiously he could feel it in his head. Part of it was fear, and the other half was anger. Didn't Misty _know _how much danger she was getting herself-and the baby-into to?

Misty, meanwhile, was still running and crying out. As she did so, she tripped over a root sticking out of the ground. Shrieking fearfully, she wrapped her arms around her stomach, and fortunately landed softly on her behind. Gazing upwards, she saw the Beedrill heading for her. Wincing, Misty continued to clutch her stomach; not only because she wanted to protect the baby, but because all this terror made her feel like she would throw up at any minute.

Catching sight of Misty on the ground, Ash's adrenaline kicked into high gear. He increased his pace, overworking his system, but it was successful. The young master was able to get in front of his wife before the Beedrill, and he reached to his belt. He didn't have Pikachu with him, choosing to let the electric type sleep back at the gym. _Stupid move, _Ash groaned in his head. He did, however, have other Pokémon with him.

"A…Ash…" Misty whimpered from the ground. Ash looked over his shoulder at the trembling red head.

"Misty, you have to get out of here," Ash ordered firmly. Misty nodded and stood up slowly. Before she could move a foot, however, Ash barked out another command, "do NOT run!" Misty grimaced. She could tell Ash was upset with her. But he did have a point. Nodding, she took off in a fast paced walk.

Ash, meanwhile, turned his attention back to the oncoming group of infuriated Beedrill. Snatching a poke ball from his belt, he enlarged it and held the sphere tightly in his hand.

"You're not gonna get anywhere _near _her!" Ash screeched, tossing the poke ball, "Quilava, let's go!"

The volcano Pokémon emerged before his trainer, flames spiking out dangerously along his back. Eyeing the Beedrill, Quilava growled threateningly and got poised for attack.

"Quilava, use eruption!"

"Quil!" Quilava's flames flared off his body, its strength and heat level increasing quickly. As the Beedrill moved in closer, Quilava unleashed the attack, sending a brigade of flames out towards the bug types. They were all critically hit, causing most to fly away dejectedly and in pain. One Beedrill remained, however.

Peeking out from behind a tree, Misty gasped as she saw Ash's body tense up. Quilava's flames returned to their normal size, and the fire type looked up curiously at the enemy.

"Ash!" Misty hissed quietly. Ash turned around, a frantic look on his face. "That's the leader, Ash!"

Buzzing, the Beedrill caught sight of Misty and narrowed its large red eyes, zipping towards the terrified girl. Misty shrieked and began backing away, trying her best not to break out into a full sprint.

"I said get away from her!" Ash snarled, "Quilava, flamethrower!"

"La!" Quilava unleashed a stream of fire from his mouth, sending it barreling towards the Beedrill. A direct hit, the Pokémon whined miserably and began to falter.

"Come on, go down already," Ash mumbled to himself.

Turning around slowly, the Beedrill fluttered towards Ash, its stinger stuck out threateningly.

"Uh…" Ash stammered before attempting to run away. Unfortunately, he was thwarted by the same root that had tripped Misty from before. He landed harshly on the ground, wincing as he did so. Misty watched in horror, miserable over the fact she couldn't cry out for him.

Ash tried to stumble to his feet, but right as he tried to make another dash, the Beedrill was able to pierce Ash's arm with its stinger.

"OW!" Ash cried, landing back on the ground.

"That's it," Misty grabbed her special poke ball and threw it forcefully, releasing her loyal Vaporeon.

"Vay!" She greeted cheerily before seeing the serious expression plastered on her trainer's face. Turning, Vaporeon saw the injured Ash and squeaked.

"Vaporeon, aurora beam on that Beedrill!" Misty snapped. Vaporeon peered up at the badly injured, but still floating, Beedrill. Realizing that was the cause of Ash's pain, Vaporeon growled deeply and spit out a colorful beam straight towards the bothersome bug. It was a direct hit, causing the Beedrill to buzz in obvious pain. Finally, it gave in, and floated back to the safety of the tree tops.

"Ash!" Misty finally wailed, racing towards her moaning husband, "are you okay?"

"I got stung!" Ash wailed, holding tightly onto his arm.

"Let me see," Misty hushed, but Ash shook his head feverously.

"It hurts like hell," Ash hissed, rocking back and forth. Misty leaned down and grabbed onto Ash's shoulders.

"Ash, you have to let me see," Misty whispered, "I want to help you."

Ash groaned but removed his hand from his other arm. The spot where he had been stung was a bright red, and it was beginning to swell up.

"We should take you to your Mom's," Misty suggested, brushing back some of Ash's raven locks, "she'll know what to do."

"M…Mist, we can't," Ash shook his head, once again grabbing at his arm.

"Why not?"

"She doesn't know about the baby," Ash threw his head down in pain.

"So we don't have to tell her right now," Misty reasoned, "I just want to take care of you. So get up." Ash winced as he tried to stand up, but nearly fell again. Sighing, Misty hooked her slender arm through Ash's strong, uninjured one, and pulled him up.

"Let's hurry," Ash cried through ground teeth, "it really, really, hurts."

**XXX**

As soon as they had reached the house, Misty rapped quickly on the door. Delia had insisted that the two could simply walk in whenever they pleased. Ash, of course, had no problem with that, but it didn't feel right to Misty to just enter someone's house. Even if it was her mother in law's.

Delia opened the door, and gasped when she saw Ash in visible pain. "Misty, what happened?"

"He got stung by a Beedrill," Misty responded, her voice wavering, "we were, uh, taking a walk through the forest, and they tried to attack me. Ash went to protect me and got stung."

"Poor baby," Delia frowned, "don't worry, I'll take good care of you Ashy."

Inside the house, she instructed Ash to sit down at the kitchen table. He nodded, his throat still feeling too tight for him to speak. Misty, meanwhile, rushed over to Delia's side, her eyes still shimmering with concern.

"Do you need help?" Misty inquired, rubbing her upper arm nervously.

"I'm fine," Delia grinned appreciatively, "why don't you keep Ash company? You're probably the only person who can soothe him right now." Misty gave a nod in agreement and glided over to Ash, pulling a chair up next to the pained young master. She rested a hand on his good arm, receiving a weak smile in return.

"You'll be okay," Misty whispered, leaning in to give Ash a kiss on the cheek, "your Mom takes the very best care of you."

"You do too," Ash mumbled, his smile growing just a little stronger.

"I don't know about that," Misty giggled as she began to mindlessly stroke her belly. Ash grew wide eyed, causing his young wife to become concerned. "What is it dear?"

He motioned towards her still flat midsection and shook his head, mouthing the word _no._

"Huh?" Misty blinked but then looked down at her stomach, where her hand still rested, "oh." She quickly removed it and frowned at Ash. He smiled sympathetically and mouthed another word; _soon._

"Okay Ash, let me see," Delia had appeared in front of her son now, and was motioning for him to remove his hand from over the wounded area. Ash winced as he removed the tight grip from his arm, and Delia once again gasped, this time at the sight of the injury. "Oh dear."

Ash and Misty looked down at the sting. The spot was a bright red now, and very much swollen.

"Gross," Misty commented in a hushed tone. Ash shot her a look.

"I only got this because I was saving your butt!" He accused stubbornly.

"I never said I was ungrateful," Misty shrugged as a spiteful little smirk appeared on her face.

"Ash, don't yell at Misty like that!" Delia scolded gently, "she has a point. It's not very pretty to look at."

"Thanks you guys," Ash sighed sarcastically and lowered his head.

"Well, you don't have to worry, because I'm going to fix you up, good as new!" Delia grinned cheerily, spreading a lotion on Ash's site of injury. He winced as she did so, and Misty bit her lip nervously. "This will take away the sting," Delia smiled at Ash, "luckily; you're not allergic to these stings, so you'll be just fine."

"Thanks Mom," Ash smiled pathetically, looking down at his swollen forearm.

"Don't mention it darling," Delia patted Ash's head, making the young master feel somewhat patronized, "now, let me go get something for you to drink. Would you like something as well, Misty?"

"Yes please," Misty nodded with a smile. She had already had quite the long day, and hadn't had anything to drink since breakfast. It couldn't have been good for the baby. Delia retreated to the fridge and returned within a matter of moments, one glass held in each hand.

"Thank you," Ash and Misty thanked simultaneously. Without even a second thought, Misty raised the glass to her lips and went to take a sip.

"Misty, no!" Ash hissed quietly. She raised an eyebrow, and he motioned for her to put the glass down. Looking into the glass, Misty found herself staring at a bright, amber colored liquid. Taking a little sniff, Misty felt her stomach churn awfully.

Apple juice.

Misty groaned miserably. Knowing what would happen next, Ash held out his hand, and Misty thrust the glass into his palm. She snapped up, eyes wide, as she raced for the back door.

"Misty, dear, are you alright?" Delia suddenly noticed what was going on from her place at the sink, and she turned around to cast the red head a nervous glance.

Misty contemplated her answer for a split second, but she soon realized she could no longer keep the secret; or hold in the sickness. She shook her head feverously and threw the door backwards, running out as fast as lightning. Delia's half stunned, half worried look remained, and she quickly turned it onto Ash. The young master looked up at his mother, and just as quickly as he'd raised his head, he'd lowered it rather sheepishly.

"Ash, what's wrong with Misty?"

"Um, I…don't know."

"You clearly _do _know!" Delia folded her arms. Ash looked up once again and raised a curious eyebrow. Sighing impatiently, Delia continued, "I _know _you, Ash. If you didn't know what was wrong with Misty, you'd have gone running straight after her, not even paying that nasty sting of yours a second thought!"

"Heh, you _do_ know me," Ash mumbled softly, but Delia still caught his words as quickly as he spoke them.

"Of course I do, I'm your mother," Delia narrowed her eyes ever so slightly; "now tell me what's going on."

Taking in a deep breath, Ash rubbed the back of his neck nervously before stammering, "she's uh…well…she's pregnant."

Delia's eyes snapped open once more, and directly after, her expression softened. Ash looked up anxiously, but felt relieved when he noticed the wide grin growing rapidly on his mother's face.

"I should've realized that!" Delia gently tapped the top of her head, "oh, silly me! Of _course _that's what it was!"

"So…you're not angry?"

"Ashy, dear, why ever would I be angry?" Delia trilled, her light brown eyes sparkling like amberite, "I'm going to be a grandmother!" Gasping lightly, she continued, "oh, what if it's a girl? I'd _adore _a granddaughter! Of course, I'd love a boy too, but I'd love to make all kinds of cute little dresses for a sweet little girl!"

Ash giggled quietly to himself, but soon stopped to think about the matter himself. He realized he hadn't even _thought _about the baby's gender. He imagined himself with a daughter: a little girl who looked just like Misty would be adorable, but the thought of brushing through tangled long hair and having to play with dolls scared him a little. On the other hand, he could definitely rough around with a boy and teach him the ways to become a Pokémon master like himself. Yes, Ash decided in his head, he firmly believed he wanted a son.

Just as Ash finished the reflection, Misty came back into the house, her eyes half shut and her face completely flushed.

"Oh honey," Delia cooed, rushing over to the weary red head in order to envelope her in a tight hug, "why didn't you tell me what was going on?"

"What?" Misty pulled away quickly, looking frantically at Ash, "nothing's going on! I just needed some…"

"Mist, it's okay," Ash hushed, standing up slowly as to not aggravate his healing arm, "I told her." Misty began to look even more terrified. Delia laughed softly and turned Misty's head back around.

"I'm not upset darling. Did you think I'd be unhappy?"

"Maybe just a little…but no, not really. That wasn't the forefront of my thoughts."

"Hm? Then what was?"

Misty once again looked at Ash, this time with a pleading gaze. The raven haired young man bit his lip and looked down at his sneakers, desperately searching for a way to explain the situation to his mother. Misty grunted, clearly seeing that Ash was incapable of coming up with a decent elucidation. It was up to her than.

"I'm not one hundred percent," Misty sighed.

"Oh…you're not completely sure you're pregnant?" Delia began to frown.

"No, I'm positive of that," Misty clarified. She giggled inwardly when Delia's face reflected her relief. "I mean…I'm not totally healthy."

"What do you mean?" Delia pressed quietly, gently squeezing Misty's shoulders.

"She's fainted a few times," Ash finally spoke up, causing Misty to breathe a sigh of relief.

"What?" Delia suddenly became panic stricken, and she pressed her palms against Misty's cheeks, "are you alright?"

"Uh, we're not sure yet," Misty mumbled, her voice sounding muffled due to Delia's hold on her face.

"I took her to the doctor before we came here," Ash continued, "walking home from there is actually how I got stung by the Beedrill. Anyway, he took some blood from Misty, and we'll get a call once the results come in."

"Oh dear," Delia's shoulders sagged, and she slowly removed her hands from Misty's face.

"I'm sure everything will be fine Mom," Ash frowned, although he couldn't be entirely sure.

"I certainly hope so," Delia sighed.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Ash quietly announced, "Uh, my arm is feeling better. I'm thinking Misty and I should get going back to Cerulean City now. I want her to get some rest." Misty rolled her eyes at the comment.

"What do you mean you're going back to Cerulean City?" Delia blinked, "are you staying with Misty's parents?"

"No," Ash shook his head, "we're still in the gym."

"Oh no!" Delia held her hand out, "no, no, no!"

"Huh? Why not?" Ash blinked.

"Don't make me out to be stupid, Ash!" Delia scolded, "I know that there are no bedrooms in the gym! You honestly expect Misty to sleep on the _floor?_"

"We have a couch…" Ash squeaked. Misty chuckled lightly.

"Ash, that is the most impractical place for an expectant mother to sleep," Delia sighed. At the words 'expectant mother,' Misty's heart began to race. _I'm really going to be a Mom, _the red head thought nervously, hand slowly raising to her pretty much flat stomach. "Her back is already going to get _extremely _sore, and sleeping on a couch certainly won't help!"

"So what should we do?" Ash asked incredulously, "our house isn't done yet, and it won't be for awhile."

"You're going to stay here," Delia responded, her tone defiant as she placed her hands on her hips.

"WHAT?" Ash shrieked.

"You heard me. We have the big guest bedroom here, and I'll be able to keep a close watch on Misty," Delia's eyes twinkled slightly, "I don't want anything bad to happen to my grandchild before it's even born."

"But Mom, we're…_adults,_" Ash moaned as he slumped back into the kitchen chair, "Misty doesn't need to be watched like a little kid."

"Ash," Misty's voice broke slightly. Part of it was from keeping quiet for so long, and the other part arose from the fact that her throat was tightening up due to the uncomfortable nature of what she was about to say. "I…really think I'd like your Mom around."

Ash could only stare at Misty, disbelief swirling around his tired brain. "Seriously?"

Misty nodded slowly, "I'm a little nervous Ash. Having a baby, the fact that I'm not feeling so well…this is a lot to deal with. I don't want us going about it alone."

"We wouldn't be," Ash stood back up, gradually approaching Misty to touch her slender arm, "of course I want my Mom around. And our friends, once when we tell them, and your parents too." Misty grimaced at the thought of her own family. "I just feel like we need to start taking care of ourselves."

"_Start?_" Delia rubbed the back of her neck, a trait she shared with her son, "oh Ash, you two have been running around on your own since you were ten years old. This is no intrusion. I'm not even insisting you do this. I'm _ordering _you to."

"How are we supposed to argue with that?" Misty asked her husband playfully. In turn, Ash snorted and shook his head.

"We can't," Ash shrugged, "guess we're stuck."

"Thank you Delia," Misty grinned appreciatively at the older woman, a gentle blush overtaking her cheeks.

"Don't mention it dear!" Delia waved a haphazard hand, "now, why don't you two start getting yourselves comfortable upstairs? We can go to Cerulean City and get some of your things tomorrow. I think you've both been through enough today."

"Agreed," Misty laughed lightly, heading towards the stair case.

**XXX**

The next day, Ash and Misty found themselves sitting in the office of Doctor Aaron. He had called them the night before in order to tell them that the test results were in, but that he'd prefer to speak about with them in person the next day.

"Why do you think he wants to talk about it face to face?" Misty asked Ash nervously, "do you think it's serious?"

"I'm not sure," Ash shrugged. Inside, however, he was a nervous wreck. He simply did _not _have a good feeling about the doctor's findings. Looking sideways, Ash could see Misty trembling. Frowning, he held his hand out and began to stroke her leg.

"Hey, it's alright," Ash comforted her, "I'm here for you, no matter what. Whatever happens, we'll always have each other."

Misty smiled weakly and looked back up at her husband. "You're right Ash."

"Of course!" Ash grinned happily. Just then, the door to the office opened, and Dr. Aaron walked in. He held a folder in his arms, a serious look adorning his rather young face. Misty began to quake again, so Ash raised his hand and grabbed her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. She gave him a sideways smile now, and her body relaxed.

"Hello you two," Dr. Aaron greeted, sitting down at his desk. Ash gave a silent nod in response, but Misty, for once in their lives, was the impatient half of the duo.

"Is it bad?" She squeaked, "am I dying? Is the baby sick?"

"Misty," Ash hushed, giving her hand another squeeze. This time, it did no good. Her body was still incredibly tense.

"Uh, well, let me start by saying no, you're not dying, and no, the baby isn't sick," Dr. Aaron chuckled gently.

"Oh, thank goodness," Misty breathed outwardly.

"Unfortunately," the doctor's tone was much different than it had just been, "this is a bit of a serious matter."

"How serious?" Ash furrowed his brow, "what is it?" Next to him, Misty was breathing heavily.

"It would seem that Misty has some kind of pregnancy induced condition," Dr. Aaron began to explain, "it's very strange, and I've never really seen anything like it."

"I…I don't understand," Ash shook his head. Misty remained silent.

"My guess is it's genetic. It's in her blood cells, you see. Something is causing her low blood pressure, which is what's leading to those momentary occurrences of fainting. Right now, the blood flow to the baby is healthy, but that could very easily change."

"How can this be genetic?" Misty finally spoke, her voice shaking terribly, "my sisters _never _had anything like this when they were pregnant."

"Genes are a tricky thing," Dr. Aaron sighed sadly, "they must've skipped the gene. Unfortunately, it's affecting you."

"So what do we have to do?" Ash asked now.

"I'm going to have to keep a _very _close eye on Misty. This pregnancy is extremely high risk; to both Misty and the baby."

"High risk?" Ash blinked.

"Yes. If something goes wrong, Misty _and _the baby are in real danger."

"Do…do you mean…they could die?" Ash whispered. He subconsciously squeezed Misty's hand more tightly.

"It…is a possibility," the doctor nodded sadly, "there's not a great chance, but it's a possibility."

"And there's nothing we can do about it?" Ash cried. He began to feel so helpless, and couldn't even imagine what was going through Misty's head at the moment. She just looked completely void of emotion.

"Aside from her being very closely monitored, no," Dr. Aaron shook his head, "although…there is one other option." His last words were said so hesitantly that Ash knew it probably wasn't a smart thing to do. But he needed to know what it was. He would do anything to help Misty.

"What's the option?" Ash asked.

"You could…end the pregnancy," the doctor stated. He switched his glance between Ash and Misty, trying to garner a reaction. Ash looked shocked, and Misty's expression was still static. "I'll leave you two to discuss," Dr. Aaron stood up, and with a gentle nod, left the room.

"Misty," Ash turned to the red head. She kept her eyes glued to the ground. "Misty, I…think that's what we need to do."

Misty raised her head now, her eyes full of horror. "You want to _kill _our baby?"

"Huh? No! I don't _want _to kill it! But you're in danger!"

"No," Misty shook her head.

"No what?"

"I am not killing this baby," Misty pressed a hand against her stomach. She looked up at Ash, who looked flustered, but not angry. "I won't die Ash. I won't. It's like you said before. No matter what happens, we're there for one another. This is just another challenge for us to overcome."

Ash was staring at Misty with tear filled eyes, not saying a word. Reaching out, Misty grabbed his face and pulled it close to hers so that their noses were touching.

"I won't kill our baby. We're going to do this together."

Finally, Ash revealed a weak smile. Misty returned the feeble grin, and the two pressed their lips together, kissing to confirm their agreement.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, I gave Misty a Vaporeon. I always thought she should have one! So...I gave it to her :P<strong>

**Remember to leave a review if you can! They are all very well appreciated! So, until next time, dear readers!**


	5. Make Misty Mad

**Hello dear readers! I actually had the time to upload another chapter! My workload this week had been surprisingly fair, but it's what I like to consider the calm before the storm. The next 2 weeks may be bad, but I'm sure I'll be able to find the time to update. Besides, updating my story will cheer me up! I had my last dance class of the year today, and I'm sad it's over. Writing theraphy is all good :P**

**Anyway, this chapter is a little filler-ish, I suppouse. But there's some good pokeshipping moments in the chapter if I do say so myself. So, I hope you all enjoy this update!**

**Ages for this chapter:**

**Ash: 21 **

**Misty: 20**

**Gary: 21**

**Prof. Oak: 71**

**Brock: 26**

**Forrest: 19**

* * *

><p>"You said you didn't want to tell anyone."<p>

"_No. _I don't want to tell the entire _world._"

"Okay, and the difference?"

"Our friends don't make up the Earth's population, Mist."

"They might as well with the mouths they have!"

"Nuh uh, they're not gonna' say a word. I'll make sure of it."

"And how do you suppose you're going to do _that?_" Misty folded her arms and stared expectantly at Ash. He looked her straight in the eyes and felt a shock run through his body. Shivering slightly, Ash looked back over his shoulder, watching everything he passed by with certain intensity. Trees, signs, rocks. There sure were a lot of things that lined this particular path, he noted mentally. "Answer me Ketchum," Misty's agitated voice broke in again.

"Your last name is Ketchum too," Ash responded mindlessly, still looking over his shoulder. Before he knew it, Misty was pounding him heavily over the head, her tightly balled fists hurting his skull more and more with each bash. "Ow! Misty, quit it! The baby!"

"It's fine!" Misty snapped as she continued to smack Ash, "just think of it as me teaching the art of how to deal with a certain, pain in the ass Pokémon master!"

"Ah!" Ash shrieked, finally raising his arms to smack a hand over Misty's mouth. From behind his palm, she growled angrily, and quickly freed her teeth in order to bite him. "Ow!"

"That'll teach you," Misty narrowed her eyes.

"Sorry," Ash rubbed his hand, "but you needed that."

"Why the…"

"The paparazzi could be _anywhere,_" Ash hissed quietly. Misty pulled back a little, realizing her skittish husband was right. "I don't need them to hear my name and jump out of some nearby bush."

"Then you shouldn't have mentioned _this,_" Misty pointed towards her stomach, "so loudly."

"Good point. My mistake."

"Should we just keep our mouths shut the rest of the way?"

Ash thought for a short moment before nodding, "That'd probably be for the best."

At the urging of Ash's mother, the two were off to tell Professor Oak of their baby news. It had been several weeks since the two had learned of Misty's condition, but now that she was three months along, Ash had decided it would be alright to tell their family and friends, and he supposed Scott as well. Although he assumed his manager was not going to be pleased. Or, it'd be the exact opposite and he'd race off to alert the media. Which Ash would have to make sure did _not _happen. He groaned inwardly, hoping that all of this wasn't going to become so highly complicated.

"We're almost there," Misty practically whispered. Ash raised his head and saw the laboratory standing atop the tall hill up ahead.

"Are you ready for this?" Ash asked, casting Misty an uneasy glance.

"Not really," she shrugged, "but we don't have much of a choice, now do we?"

"I guess not," Ash bit his lip. Contemplating a little further, he piped up, "what about Tracey?"

"What about him?"

"He's married to Daisy."

"…and?"

"He also works for Professor Oak."

"Oh," Misty resisted the urge to smack herself on the head.

"What do we do?" Ash's eyes darted back and forth, searching Misty's puzzled face for an answer.

"We…tell him now. I don't see an option here."

"Should we tell him not to tell Daisy?"

"Obviously," Misty snorted, "that sister of mine will go and blab to _everyone. _We've got to be careful with this."

Ash nodded once before holding out his hand. Misty looked down at it, somewhat confused, until she realized Ash wanted her to hold it. Smiling winsomely at the handsome young master, Misty clutched his palm and allowed the raven haired trainer to lead her to the laboratory. Knocking on the door, Ash nervously twisted himself left to right, and when the door opened, his eyes widened.

"Gary?" Ash asked incredulously.

"Hey there Ashy boy!" Gary arched a mischievous eyebrow, causing Ash to groan. Misty simply brushed her hair back out of her eyes, feeling somewhat bad for her poor husband. He and Gary were friends now, but Ash certainly hadn't been expecting Professor Oak's protégé to appear at the door.

"Misty," Ash mumbled, nudging Misty's side. She looked at him confusedly, and he motioned towards Gary.

"I was just saying hi to you too," Gary laughed. Misty sighed tiredly and showed off a weary smile.

"Hello Gary."

"Mind if we come in?" Ash inquired, lopsided grin appearing on his face.

"Not at all!" Gary shook his head, politely moving out of the way to allow Ash and Misty inside.

"I didn't know you were back home," Ash commented as he walked past the young professor in training, "I thought you were off in Vermillion City with Kayla."

"I was," Gary closed the door and followed after the raven haired Pokémon master, "I just got back here late last night. She's spending some time with her parents, and I realized I left some unfinished work here."

"Does she have Sam with her?" Ash was referring to Gary's infant son, the cute brown haired baby who already looked like a perfect mix of his father and super model mother.

"Yeah, her parents wanted to spend time with him. Here, sit!" Gary motioned towards the couches in the sitting room. Ash and Misty silently thanked him and sat down.

"Gary, where's Professor Oak?" Misty asked, sitting on top of her hands. She was fighting the strong urge to rub her stomach.

"He's out running some errands with Tracey, or something like that," Gary shrugged, "why? Did you come here to see him?"

"Kind of," Ash nodded once.

"Well, whatever you needed him to do for you, I could do it myself you know. I'm training under him!"

"Maybe so, but you're still more of a Pokémon researcher than a Pokémon _professor,_" Ash huffed. Gary scowled a little at his snickering, long time rival.

"We didn't come here because we needed something, Gary," Misty sighed again.

"Then what did you drop by for?" Gary scratched his head.

"We, uh, just wanted to talk to Professor Oak was all," Ash brushed the question off as though it were nothing. Gary, however, wasn't content with that.

"Talk about what?" Gary quipped, taking a seat on the couch that sat across from the one Ash and Misty sat on.

"Nothing important," Ash bit his lip.

"Hmm," Gary tapped his chin thoughtfully before revealing a devilish glance, "You're a liar."

"What? I am not!" Ash jumped up, brown eyes burning with anger.

"Oh please," Gary rolled his eyes comically, "I've known you since we were kids. And I can tell when you're lying."

"What are you, my Mom?" Ash narrowed his eyes, "or Misty?" The red head leaned over and pinched Ash's leg. "Ow!"

"No, I'm just a genius," Gary sighed, resting his feet on the table. _Now _he was starting to transform into the Gary of old. He did that whenever he thought it'd create some fun. "Now, if it's not such a big deal, will you tell me?"

"No," Ash laughed dryly.

"Well, why not? You _said _it isn't a big deal."

"Doesn't mean I want to tell _you_, Oak."

"Okay, that's cool," Gary shrugged uncaringly before turning to Misty, "what about you, Mist?" Ash's heart began to pound when Gary called Misty by the special nickname that only Ash used for her. "You want to tell me?"

"Not particularly," Misty furrowed her brow.

"Man, you guys are no fun," Gary shook his head in mock sadness, "I can't believe you won't confide in me. Maybe I should just start taking guesses. Let's see…are you guys splitting up?"

"Never!" Ash growled.

"Okay, I'll take another guess. Misty's no longer a gym leader."

"Screw you Gary," Misty's tone was flat.

"Wrong again? Damn."

"You'll never get it," Ash finally sat back down, resting his head in his hand.

"Third time's the charm," Gary's eyes were twinkling mischievously.

"Bet it's not," Ash replied.

"Alright then. I'm just gonna' go ahead and say one of you is pregnant." Misty and Ash began to look horrified, and Gary looked down with a scoff, "presumably Ash."

"That's it!" Ash jumped up, racing forward to tackle the researcher. Gary simply held his hand out and pressed it against Ash's forehead, holding back the angry young man and leaving only his arms flailing.

"Both of you quit it!" Misty finally yelled. Ash settled down, standing up straight. Gary leaned forward, clasping his hands together.

"So," he winked, "was I right, or was I right?"

"You're so obnoxious," Misty shook her head.

"Obnoxious but right."

"Fine," Misty confirmed through ground teeth, "you're right. I'm pregnant."

"Nailed it!"

"On the third try," Ash rolled his eyes.

"Alright, so there's gonna' be a junior Ashy boy running around," Gary rubbed his hands together, "the next few months are going to get _very_ interesting."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Misty folded her arms.

"Misty," Gary laughed softly, "think about it. You're not pregnant with just _anyone's _baby. That's _Ash's _baby you've got in there."

"Your point being…?"

"I think this pregnancy is going to be extremely fascinating," Gary nodded mindlessly, "I mean, if it's Ketchum's kid, it's gonna'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' act like him. It'll probably demand food all day and suck all of the intelligence out of you." Ash's hands clenched into fists, and Misty had to leap up, yanking at the Pokémon master's arm and placing him back down on the couch.

"Gary, our baby is going to be _wonderful,_" Misty trilled, happy she could finally lay a hand on her midsection, "if Sam didn't kill Kayla while she was pregnant with him, then Ash's baby won't do a thing to me."

"Not a bad point," Gary noted, "but either way, every time you come over, I'll have to make sure I have towels ready." Ash blinked rapidly. What were the towels for?

"Don't be a jerk Gary," Misty warned, "I know it's hard for you, but you should really try."

"I'm not being a jerk. I just don't trust that baby is all. It might not know when the right time to be born is. Hell, your water might break in five minutes!" Ash's eyes looked like they were going to shoot out of his head.

"Gary, I swear to all that is good in this world, I will punch you straight in the mouth," Misty shook her head very slowly, shooting the smirking man a death glare. As she continued to cast the look, a violent wave of nausea passed through her body, causing Misty to groan and shut her eyes.

"See what I mean?" Gary chuckled gently. Before Misty could even reopen her eyes, Ash had leapt off the couch, and was frantically tearing through the shelves and cabinets in the room.

"Ash, what are you doing?" Misty asked confusedly once her eyes were open.

"We have to get the towels!" Ash screamed, throwing some books on the floor, "where are the towels? Get the towels!"

"Relax, Ketchum!" Gary snapped, "I was just messing around before! Misty's not going to go into labor."

"But she just made a face like she was in pain!" Ash turned to show them his fearful face. Once he was sure they had been able to register it, he spun back around and continued looking for the towels.

"I just got a little nauseous," Misty raised a wry eyebrow.

"See? That's all it was," Gary narrowed his eyes, "now quit ruining my lab!"

"It's not your lab," Ash pointed a finger at Gary. He was still kneeling down in desperate search of some towels.

"Not yet," Gary sighed, "not yet."

"Ash, honey, please get back here," Misty beckoned sweetly. Ash stood up and shuffled back over to Misty. She smiled and held her hand out to him, which he happily accepted and kissed before sitting down.

"Gross," Gary commented.

"Seriously, how are you married?" Ash raised an eyebrow, to which Gary snickered.

"Well Ash, when a guy like me has such a…"

"Gary?"

Gary took his feet off the coffee table and sat up perfectly straight. Ash and Misty were confused at first, but soon understand Gary's sudden change in behavior.

"Hey gramps!" Gary called out.

Professor Oak walked into the room, and lit up at the sight of the young couple sitting across from his grandson.

"Ash, Misty! Hello!"

"Hi Professor Oak," the two greeted happily in response.

"Well, what brings you two by for this visit?" Professor Oak grinned, "Did you come to visit your Pokémon, Ash?"

"That'd be nice," Ash mused, "but that's not why we came. I think I'll go visit everyone after we tell you about the baby, though!" Misty grew wide eyed and turned to glare at her still grinning husband. When he realized what he'd said, Ash gasped lightly and covered his mouth. "Oops," he murmured quietly behind his palm.

"Hmm, baby?" Professor Oak shifted his gaze between Ash and Misty, "what about a baby?"

Misty sighed and stood up in order to fully face the older man. He blinked confusedly at the red head, who in turn stared at him with her deep emerald eyes.

"Yeah," Misty began awkwardly, a blush crawling up onto her cheeks, "Ash and I are having a baby." Professor Oak appeared to contemplate the thought for a moment, but soon revealed a broad smile and a nod.

"How wonderful!" Professor Oak chuckled, "you and Ash will make wonderful parents!" Misty's blush deepened, and Ash now hopped up to grin at the famous Pokémon professor.

"You think so?" Ash asked hopefully, his dark brown eyes gleaming.

"I'm sure of it! Misty is so loving and wise. And you, my boy, are fun and joyful! Not to mention, the two of you together share plenty of adoration and happiness. This child will have a very happy life with you two as its parents."

"That's so sweet," if Misty's blush had increased anymore, she might have been mistaken for a Charmeleon.

"Yeah, awesome!" Ash cheered, clearly happy that someone else was citing their trust in him to be a good father.

"Where's Tracey?" Misty looked around slightly, "we should probably tell him too."

"Oh, I let him go home for the day," Professor Oak frowned, "he put up with me all morning, what with all the errands I had to run. I figured it wasn't fair of me to hold onto him, so I gave him the rest of the day off."

"Oh," Misty sulked slightly.

"It's alright Mist!" Ash assured happily, "we can just tell him when we tell Daisy and the rest of your family!"

"I guess so," Misty mumbled darkly. Ash raised an eyebrow in confusion, but said nothing.

"You look awfully pale dear," Professor Oak commented, gazing cautiously at Misty. The red head looked up at the older man somewhat shyly, confirming her sickly appearance to the researcher.

"I've been having horrible morning sickness," Misty explained, "it just goes on all day. It's really starting to drain me of all my energy."

"I happen to have the perfect remedy for that!" Professor Oak grinned jovially.

"Really?" Misty inquired.

"Well, it won't cure you of your morning sickness. Nothing will do that, unfortunately. But this will certain help you feel a little better."

"I'll do anything to not feel so sick," Misty smiled weakly, "thank you Professor."

"It's not a problem, not at all!" He chuckled heartily, "just let me go to the kitchen. I'll be back in a flash!" And with that, the renowned figure headed off in the direction of the kitchen.

"That's weird," Gary commented nonchalantly, "Kayla _never _got sick when she was pregnant!"

"Well isn't _she _lucky," Misty grumbled sarcastically, sitting back down in a huff.

"I bet it's terrible," Gary mused, "I mean, I didn't have to live through any of that. She was happy and healthy the whole…"

"Gary, shut up!" Ash finally snapped, his dark brown eyes flooding with immense anger. Gary actually looked taken back by Ash's tone, and Misty looked rather shocked as well.

"Ash," Misty whispered quietly.

"He doesn't know," Ash murmured gruffly into her ear, "he doesn't know how sick you are. He doesn't know I could lose you. I won't let him talk like that."

"But that's the point; he doesn't know," Misty replied in a hushed tone, "He's only trying to tease you. If you want him to stop, just tell him what's wrong."

"No," Ash furrowed his brow darkly, "he can't know. No one can know." Misty shot him a worried glance, but soon breathed in deeply and sat up straight.

"Oh Gary, what have you done now?" Professor Oak sighed as he walked back into the room, a hot cup of tea in his hand.

"What?" Gary gasped, "I didn't do anything!"

"I'm sure you didn't," Professor Oak droned sarcastically, placing the cup in front of Misty on the coffee table. "Now Misty, this is a special kind of tea that will help relieve you of those morning sickness symptoms for a little while. It is a little hot right now, though, so be careful."

"Thank you so much Professor," Misty grinned happily, picking up the teacup to try and cool its contents.

"Hey Professor," Ash inquired as the older man sat down next to his grandson, "how did you know how that would help Misty? Gary just said Kayla never got sick when she was pregnant."

"So _that's_ what you did," Professor Oak turned towards Gary and crossed his arms, "you bragged about how Kayla was perfectly fine for all nine months."

"No I didn't," Gary laughed nervously. But his eyes were beginning to deceive him.

"Don't lie boy," Professor Oak chastised, "you don't want your son picking up on a habit like that, now do you?"

"Guess not," Gary sighed, leaning back on the couch, "sorry Ashy boy."

"Its fine," Ash breathed out heavily, his tone still laced with a bit of anger.

"Anyway," Professor Oak's smile returned to his face, "I know how to fix these kinds of things up. My wife used to have terrible morning sickness as well. So I have some experience."

"This actually tastes really good," Misty giggled softly, "and it's already starting to make me feel better!"

"That's wonderful," Professor Oak beamed, "I'm glad to know its working. So Ash, your mother must be very excited by this."

"She's going crazy," Ash chuckled, "in a good way, of course. I think." He began to reflect, and Misty scoffed playfully.

"She's ecstatic," Misty continued for her confused husband, "and she's definitely hoping for a little granddaughter."

"Yes, I could certainly imagine Delia running around with a granddaughter," Professor Oak chuckled, "and what do you both hope for?"

"I don't mind either way," Misty smiled sweetly, "as long as it's healthy, I'm going to be perfectly happy."

"Of course," Professor Oak grinned, "and what about you, Ash?"

"Uh, well, I agree with Misty, but…" Ash laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head, "I kinda' want a boy!"

"Really?" Misty blinked.

"I just thought having a son would be fun," Ash smiled timidly, "I think I could teach a little boy lots of good things.'"

"And what if it's a girl?" Misty folded her arms and raised a wry eyebrow.

"Then…then I'll…uh…"

"You have no idea," Gary guffawed gently.

"Gary!" Professor Oak scolded.

Before Ash could come up with an answer, Misty's cell phone began to ring, causing the raven haired Pokémon master to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Misty apologized as she took the pearlised blue device out of her pocket, "excuse me for just a minute." Getting up slowly, Misty walked out into the hallway, pressing the phone against her ear.

"Hello?" She asked sweetly.

"_Hey Misty!"_ A deep, jovial voice greeted.

"Forrest!" Misty smiled brightly, "hey! What's up?"

"_Nothing much,"_ Forrest replied nonchalantly, _"I was just wondering if you were busy this afternoon."_

"Um…I don't think so," Misty thought deeply, but couldn't come up with any other errands she had to run once they left Professor Oak's house, "why?"

"_I just need some typical gym leader help is all,"_ Forrest chuckled, _"you're a much more sufficient leader than I am."_

"That's not true," Misty smiled, "you're a wonderful gym leader!"

"_Thanks for the praise. But I never get the compliments you get from CJ."_

Misty bit her lip at the mention. CJ was the nickname Forrest had come up with for Charles Goodshow Jr., the head of the Kanto gym leaders and the son of Mr. Goodshow, the head of the entire Pokémon League. The younger Goodshow had always praised her talents as a gym leader, and it had always made Misty feel good and proud. But now, with a baby on the way, the gym couldn't be her top priority. What would happen then? Would Goodshow Jr. still think she was such a great gym leader? What if her skills started slipping?

"_You still there Misty?"_

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry about that."

"_It's okay. So, are you free?"_

"Uh, yeah. I can come over this afternoon."

"_Great!"_ Forrest's buoyant voice always brought a smile to Misty's face, even when she was in a difficult position, _"oh, and feel free to bring Ash along as well! I'm sure him and Brock would love to hang out."_

"I'm positive they would," Misty giggled, "I'll bring him."

"_Great! See you then."_

"Bye."

Misty smiled weakly as she ended the connection. She certainly hoped that Brock hadn't gone and told Forrest about the baby. And if he hadn't, was it even a good idea to tell him? If she said something to him, it would only be a matter of time until the other gym leaders found out.

Misty rubbed her stomach mindlessly as she walked back into the room. She had to learn to calm down. The stress was no good for the baby, after all.

**XXX**

"So I think your main problem is that you're not using Rhyperior's moves to their fullest extent. Try not to always use offensive attacks head on. If you think it through, they can also be used in a defensive manner to trick your opponent. Get it?"

"Mmmhmm…"

"Forrest, are you even listening?"

Forrest's eyes raised to Misty's, which were slightly narrowed in annoyance. Her arms were folded, and when she glanced at the rock type gym leader's blank expression, she sighed hopelessly.

In the next room, meanwhile, Brock sat on a couch, bouncing his happy baby nephew on his knee. Brandon, Forrest's three month old son, was a generally cheerful infant who looked quite a bit like his father. Sitting next to Brock was Ash, who watched the Pokémon doctor's actions very carefully.

"Pika…" Pikachu cooed from Ash's shoulder. He liked watching the little baby being played with and laughing.

"So what do you think Ash?" Brock asked the young master softly, "looks fun, right?"

"Uh…yeah," Ash bit his lip.

"You don't sound so sure," Brock raised a knowing eyebrow.

"I'm nervous Brock," Ash furrowed his brow nervously, "the more I think about it, the more I read of that book…I get scared."

"Sounds like Forrest before this little guy was born," Brock nuzzled the gurgling boy, "but he loves Brandon more than anything in the whole world. I know you'll be a great Dad, and more importantly, Misty knows it too."

"That's what she says," Ash sighed, a little smile appearing on his face.

"Hey, I've got a great idea!" Brock suddenly beamed. Ash became a little uneasy by the thought of whatever Brock had cooked up. "Why don't you start practicing now?"

"Practice what?" Ash asked hesitantly, although he was pretty sure he knew what Brock was going to say.

"Being a Dad, of course."

"What…uh…"

Before Ash could properly protest the idea, Brock thrust the infant into Ash's arms. As Brandon nestled into Ash's chest, the Pokémon master's body grew tense, his hold on the child tightening involuntarily. The baby shrieked suddenly, due to Ash's grasp being too restrictive.

"Ah!" Ash cried, trying to loosen his grip. But he couldn't. He was just too afraid of dropping the poor kid on the floor. "I can't do this Brock!" Ash practically screamed as he handed Brandon back to his uncle. "I can't even _hold _a baby! What am I going to do?" He buried his head in his hands, moaning as he did so.

"It's just going to take some time," Brock assured as he tried to soothe the now fussy infant, "and you were probably even more nervous because Brandon isn't your own baby. I'm sure holding your own child won't be as nerve wracking." Ash nodded, but he couldn't be so sure of Brock's words.

"I'm gonna' go see how Misty's doing with Forrest," Ash announced as he stood up to his full height.

"You're certainly a protective one, Ash," Brock chuckled heartily.

"I just get…worried is all," Ash blushed.

"I know you do," Brock smiled at his sheepish best friend, "you're a very loving husband."

"Thanks man," Ash smirked and rolled his eyes playfully as he walked through the doorway that led out into the hallway. It was eerily quiet in the corridor, Ash noted silently. As he approached the entrance to the battle field, he could hear Forrest gasp softly. Becoming ever curious, Ash pressed himself up against the wall, listening intently with his head tilted close to the doorway.

"What is it now?" Misty grumbled.

"You're pregnant," Forrest responded in awe. Misty's eyes snapped open, and from the hallway, a jolt traveled through Ash's body.

"Wh…what?" Misty stammered.

"Yeah," Forrest nodded, leaning in closer to her midsection, "something was different. I've been trying to figure it out this whole time." He looked back up at Misty, a tiny smile clearly itching to appear on his face, "you're pregnant."

Misty was still speechless, the only movement of her body being her rapidly blinking eyes. _How the hell did he figure it out? _Misty thought shockingly.

"Finally, another gym leader baby!" Forrest chuckled warmly, "Brandon can have a friend! Have you told the other leaders yet?"

"Uh…no…"

"Oh man, we have to!" Forrest was practically jumping up and down he was so excited. Misty, meanwhile, was still in a state of astonishment.

"No Forrest!"

Both gym leaders whipped around and found Ash standing firmly in the doorway, his body rigid and his eyes wide in fear.

"Ash…" Misty began slowly, "how long have you been…"

"Not right now Misty," Ash looked quickly towards her before turning his attention back to Forrest, "you can't say _anything, _Forrest. Not a word."

"How come?" Forrest looked highly confused by the request.

"We need to keep this a secret," Ash responded, his eyes reflecting the seriousness of the situation.

"But why?" Forrest repeated.

"We have our reasons," Ash folded his strong arms, giving Forrest a somber look.

"Ash," Misty hissed quietly. He put his arms down to his sides, and sighing, Misty continued, "there's no reason for you to worry Forrest. But…Ash and I would _really _like to be the ones to tell everyone about the baby. Is that alright?"

After a minute of silence, Forrest began to chuckle and replied, "sure! No problem! Sorry to have intruded on your privacy like that."

"It's alright," Misty gave him a sweet smile. Ash, meanwhile, was looking between the two gym leaders with wide eyes and a racing mind.

**XXX**

"You were right Mist," Ash grumbled that night as he threw himself down on the bed.

"I usually am," Misty arched an eyebrow as she removed one of her earrings. She stopped in thought for a moment before peering over her shoulder with curious emerald eyes. "Wait…what was I right about?"

"Our friends and their mouths."

"Oh. That." Misty giggled as she stood up and strode into her closet to change.

"It isn't funny," Ash groaned, rolling over onto his stomach, "Forrest was _so _ready to give away our secret, Misty."

"He has a good heart," Misty commented, "Forrest would never do anything to hurt us. He was just playing."

"Oh, I know," Ash responded, "I'm not blaming him for anything. It's just…"

"Just what?" Misty emerged from the closet, wearing a teal tank top and yellow shorts. Ash stared at her midsection for a few seconds, noting that while there wasn't yet an obvious bump there, she did look rather bloated. Almost like she'd just had a very large meal. "Ash?"

"Hmm?" Ash looked up at her face now and blushed slightly, "sorry. What I was trying to say was you were right about our friends and their mouths."

"I know what I'm talking about," Misty laughed as she climbed into bed, resting herself on top of Ash's back. Nestling her cheek into the back of his neck, Misty moaned softly and closed her eyes. "I love you Ash."

"And I love you Misty," Ash reached up to stroke her hair, "but…could you get off my back? I want to roll back over."

"Yeah," Misty slid off of him and allowed Ash to flop onto his back.

"Ah, much better," Ash grinned appreciatively, "come here angel."

Misty's smile reappeared as she laid down next to her husband, sighing happily as he wrapped his strong arms around her still slender body.

"You were right all along dear," Ash kissed her temple, "we should have never, ever opened our mouths to them."

"The deed has already been done," Misty turned over and buried her face into his chest, "but I think they know better than to open their _own_ mouths."

"Why's that?" Ash tilted his head.

With a low chuckle, Misty responded, "you were _pretty _scary today, Mr. Ketchum. I think you frightened all of them into oblivion."

"Oh," Ash frowned, "you don't think they're upset, are they?"

"No," Misty smiled against Ash's black t-shirt that so wonderfully hugged his muscles, "leave it to you, Ash. All you're concerned about is whether or not your actions will upset people."

"I just want to protect you," Ash yawned, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

"I know that. And they do too. So don't worry about it sweetheart."

"Hey Mist?" Ash mumbled again after a few moments of silence. He was already half asleep, but he had to make sure of one more thing before completely dozing off.

"Yeah Ash?"

"Let's just let out friends learn these things on their own from now on."

"Agreed."

* * *

><p><strong>An obnoxious Gary is a fun Gary :P I know he doesn't act as obnoxious later in the series, but they do say a leopard never changes its spots ;) I also got the towels part from personal experience (let's just say I love my Italian class :P)<strong>

**So what did you guys think? Was this chapter satisfactory? Leave a review and tell me what you think! The reviews I've gotten so far have been great and very much appreciated! So thank you all for that! Until next time dear readers!**


	6. Love From Within

**Hello everyone! I've got a _really _good update for you all today. This chapter has pretty much everything. Fluff, revelations, and _lots_ of drama! I'd actually go so far as to say this might be one of the best chapters of anything I've ever written. Ever. I'm so proud of this chapter, so I'm hoping you all enjoy it too!**

**Character ages for this chapter:**

**Ash: 21**

**Misty: 21**

**Daisy: 26**

**Violet: 25**

**Lily: 24**

* * *

><p>One month later, and Misty was officially four months along. She was visibly pregnant now, and the fact was starting to make her a little self conscious.<p>

Staring into the mirror, and pressing both hands against her ever growing stomach, Misty found herself longing for the days when she was a young girl who couldn't have cared less about her appearance. Once she grew into a teenager, she became fairly concerned with her looks, however, and somehow it had become slightly worse as an adult.

Of course, she _adored_ the baby growing inside of her. Especially now that it was beginning to really move around. But it just looked so strange to her, with only gaining weight in her midsection. The rest of her, so far, had remained toned and slender.

To make matters worse, Ash wasn't home. He'd been doing work for the league; interviews and appearances. And Misty couldn't even go with him because of Ash still enforcing the "nobody will know" tactic.

"Like it matters anyway," Misty grumbled to herself as she walked away from the mirror, "they'd all just be commenting on how fat I look."

Walking downstairs, Misty grinned happily to herself as the soft movements moved through her stomach.

"Are you reading my mind?" Misty asked sweetly, happy that she was alone in the house to do this. Placing a hand on her bump, she continued, "I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful. You make me so happy, you know! I just wish there was a way we could do this without me getting so…big."

The gentle, soothing movements suddenly grew a little harsher, causing Misty's heart to race.

"Whoa, it's never been this strong before," she murmured. Giggling, she continued, "You must not be pleased I'm talking about you like this. Sorry baby! Although, maybe you're hungry too." In response, her stomach growled lowly. "Ha, so you are! Good, because I am too. Let's see what we can eat!"

Gliding into the kitchen, Misty opened the fridge and surveyed her options. Now that she was in her second trimester, Misty's morning sickness was a thing of the past, and her appetite had returned stronger than ever. Furrowing her brow, Misty suddenly realized she had an intense craving. Eyeing the shelves up and down, Misty caught sight of what she so desired and took it into her hands. Staring intently at the object, she studied its shiny red skin, and checked for any bruises. Nothing, of course. She wouldn't expect any less of Ash's mother!

"Looks good," Misty smiled at the perfect apple, "it's amazing to think these things were making me sick as a Growlithe just a few weeks ago…now all I want to do is eat them!"

Taking a small bite out of the fruit, Misty hopped merrily into the family room, grabbing the remote for the TV.

"I wonder if Ash is on…" she smirked as the television's screen flickered to life.

"Vay?" Vaporeon strode into the room, stretching out her elegant blue body.

"Hey there Vaporeon. Did you enjoy your nap?"

"Vay!" Vaporeon nodded happily and jumped up onto the couch.

"You want to keep me company?" Misty giggled, "okay then! Thanks sweetie!" Sitting down on the couch, Vaporeon poked at Misty's leg, looking up curiously at her owner. "Hmm? Oh, I'm just looking to see if Ash is on the TV. He always _seems _to be…"

Flipping through the channels, Misty stopped when she caught sight of a messy, raven head. His back was facing the screen, but Misty knew very well who it was.

"Hello Ashy," she chuckled quietly to herself. As if on cue, the young master spun around, his brown eyes sparkling as a gentle smile graced his face. He walked forward, shaking his head somewhat sporadically to get the hair out of his eyes. Misty smiled fondly at the sight of Ash in his new, dark suit. He kept shrugging his shoulders back, clearly uncomfortable in the formal outfit.

As the young master kept moving ahead, a girl about his age suddenly appeared next to him, peering up brightly at Ash's handsome face. Misty furrowed her brow, and she could feel the crease in her forehead deepen as Ash smiled back at the woman, listening intently to her words. Suddenly, he touched the small of her back, and the woman turned around, her smile as bright as the sun.

"Wh…what's he doing?" Misty whispered tearfully, beginning to feel numb.

"Vaypy?" Vaporeon purred sadly at her trainer. Misty was holding her stomach, her face reddening with anger.

_How could he do this? _Misty thought miserably, looking down at her midsection.

**XXX**

Ash returned home very late that night. He moved carefully through the house, trying his best not to wake Misty up. She needed all the sleep she could get. When he made it to the bedroom and opened the door, however, he was fairly shocked to see Misty sitting up in bed, very much awake, with her arms folded.

"Hey honey," Ash smiled, "why are you still up? You should be getting some sleep."

"Like you care," Misty snapped.

"Whoa! Of course I care!" Ash shook his head frantically. He looked Misty over, and took a note that she looked absolutely ticked. "Are you having some more mood swings, Mist?"

"I'll give you a mood swing," Misty hissed, her eyes narrowing.

"You sound so angry," Ash chuckled gently, climbing onto the bed, "you wanna' tell me what's up?" Misty snarled and punched Ash in the arm. "OW! Misty, quit it!" Ash grabbed at her flailing arms, his strength far surpassing hers, "you're gonna' hurt the baby or something!"

"Why does it matter?" Misty cried, throwing her arms down, "you don't care! I'm gonna' end up raising it all by myself, so _what _do you care?"

"Okay, these aren't your hormones," Ash frowned, "why would ever say that Mist? I'd _never _leave you! You must be crazy."

"And you must be stupid," Misty replied through clenched teeth.

"Huh?"

"I SAW you with your hands all over that girl!" Misty wailed, tears starting to fall from her eyes, "it was on TV Ash. I know I'm getting fat and you're probably not attracted to me anymore, but…"

"Hey," Ash interrupted softly, touching Misty's shoulder, "you're not getting fat."

"Yes I am!" Misty bawled, folding her arms and burying her head into them.

"Is this what all of this is about?" Ash sighed, "your weight?"

"That girl you were with was awfully pretty, and thin," Misty refused to look up, and her voice sounded muffled, "not a thing like me."

"That's not true at all," Ash breathed, moving closer to Misty. He rubbed her back, but she still wouldn't raise her head. He got even closer, up to the point where he was nearly sitting on her lap. Ash kissed the top of her head, and Misty finally looked up with her emerald green eyes.

"You're the most beautiful girl in the world," Ash soothed, "haven't I always told you that?" Misty gave a nod, and sniffled. "So, why would that change now?"

"This," Misty mumbled, touching her growing stomach.

"That just makes it better," Ash laughed softly. Misty shook her head feverously, ginger locks flying out around her. "Well, why not?" Ash comforted.

"This is just the beginning, Ash," Misty sobbed, looking down at her hands, "I'm going to get bigger. My mood swings will probably get worse. Already, my body is somewhat sore, and that'll get worse too. My ankles and fingers…they're swollen. I…there's something I haven't told you."

"What?" Ash became slightly alarmed, "what is it?"

"My rings won't go on. My engagement ring, my wedding ring…for the past two days, I've been trying to force them on, but they just won't go. My fingers are too swollen. I'm sorry." The tears came rolling down her cheeks again.

_Okay, it's back to the hormones now, _Ash thought, feeling relieved. He'd rather her anger be involuntary rather than purposely directed at him.

"Do you think I'm upset about that?" Ash whispered. Misty shrugged before giving a slight nod. "That's a silly thing to think!" Ash grinned, squeezing Misty's hand, "I hadn't even noticed! It's not your fault they won't go on."

There was some silence, before Misty looked up at Ash with a glare, "you haven't noticed I wasn't wearing my rings?"

"Ah, you and your crazy hormones!" Ash giggled, pulling Misty's head closer to his in order to kiss her soft lips, "you're so adorable."

"I don't think it's funny," Misty pouted, looking away impatiently.

"Not _funny_; cute," Ash corrected, his tone still airy and amused.

"You still haven't explained that girl!" Misty bit, her head snapping back around.

"She's a skilled trainer from Unova," Ash elucidated, "her name is Baylee. They wanted me to take pictures with her. That's it."

"No…no romantic feelings?" some final tears fell from Misty's eyes.

"Absolutely not," Ash reached out and wiped the pendants of water away. Misty took a sigh of relief and lightly touched her side.

"So, now that we've cleared _that _up," Ash's face brightened, and he touched Misty's stomach, "how are you?"

"Okay. Tired. Which is weird, considering I didn't _do _anything all day," she eyed Ash with annoyance.

"Sorry, I just worry about you," Ash looked down sheepishly, "you're strong willed, Misty. I'm afraid of you doing anything you please."

"I'm not going to do anything that'll hurt the baby. That's dumb."

"Good point," Ash sighed, but his eyes were soon gleaming again, "guess what."

"What?" Misty raised a thin eyebrow.

"I've been reading more of that book," Ash continued excitedly, "did you know the baby can _hear _in there?"

"I did," Misty smirked.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ash grew wide eyed.

Chuckling and resting her head against the back board, Misty responded, "I didn't think it mattered."

"Of course it does!" Ash pressed his hands against the mattress, leaning down so he was at direct eye level with Misty, "I need to talk to it!"

"Hmm?" Misty tilted her head slightly.

"I need to talk to our baby," Ash repeated, "I want it to know my voice! I read all about it in the book. The baby already knows your voice very well. It's always with you, after all. I'm the Dad, it's harder for me. So, I've decided I need to talk to it."

"Really?" Misty smiled, a soft blush gracing her smooth face. Ash nodded and leaned down, his nose poking against Misty's gentle bump. Her blush increased at the contact.

"Hi," Ash whispered shyly, "how are you?"

"It's not going to answer you," Misty scoffed playfully. Ash thought about this for a moment before looking up curiously.

"How is it?"

"Good," Misty smiled warmly, "it's beginning to move around a little more now."

"Kicking?" Ash inquired, "I read about that too."

"Not yet," Misty shook her head, "it's very gentle movements. Soothing, almost."

"That's good," Ash turned his attention back to his wife's growing belly, "I don't want you hurting Mommy." Misty's face grew even hotter. _Mommy._

"Ash, honey," Misty touched the back of Ash's neck, toying with his thick locks of raven hair, "I'm really tired. Do you think maybe you could pick up this little…conversation tomorrow?"

"Sure," Ash smiled, pulling away from Misty's body, "I need to get into pajamas anyway."

Misty sunk down into the covers and intently watched Ash as he pulled his black polo shirt over his head. Her heart fluttered as she stared at Ash's muscular upper body, his tanned skin appearing smooth and, in a way, glowing. He stripped his jeans off so only his striped, dark blue boxers remained. Misty adored him. In fact, she _needed_ him.

"Ashy," Misty whispered, her eyes sparkling, "I'm really cold. And your body is always warm. Could you…maybe…sleep without a shirt on?" She reddened at her last question.

"You're cold?" Ash raised his eyebrows, "its July. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine. Just…please?"

Ash sighed before revealing a heartfelt smile, "alright." Misty grinned happily as Ash jumped back into bed, this time under the sheets. He wrapped his strong arms around Misty's delicate frame and pulled her close to him. The red head sighed contently, pressing her cheek against his bare chest.

"You're so warm…" Misty mumbled as she slipped into a sleepy state. Ash just chuckled and kissed the crown of her head.

"Good night Misty."

**XXX**

_Misty's eyes flickered open, the world around her content and quiet. She sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her tired eyes._

"_Mama!"_

_Misty's head whipped around, her heart racing a little bit. Behind her was a little boy. He looked to be about two or three, with messy black hair and bright emerald eyes. He tilted his head after a moment, and a sideways smile appeared on his face._

_He looked just like Ash._

"_Uh…" Misty stammered, unsure of what was going on, or where she even was. The toddler began racing towards her, his lopsided smile growing stronger as he approached the confused red head. He jumped into her arms, hugging her tightly and resting his head against her shoulder._

"_Mama," he repeated._

_Misty gasped. She understood now. This was her baby. It had to be. He was adorable, looked just like Ash…_

"_Hi sweetie," Misty whispered, hugging him back. As she did so, the air around her became hot. Scalding, actually. Misty winced, and soon all she could see was red. It was like she was in an oven. Squeezing her arms tighter, she realized that the child was no longer there. She was alone. In this heat…_

**XXX**

Misty's eyes snapped open, her body shivering. After a moment, she relaxed, and looked up curiously. Ash was still hugging her close, and his eyes were open, although they looked like they were ready to close again.

"Ash?" Misty whispered; her voice barely audible.

"You were kicking me _all _night," Ash groaned quietly, a sympathetic smile growing on his face, "were you having a bad dream?"

"Not really _bad,_" Misty replied, "just…weird." She went to shut her eyes again. Her head hurt. And she still felt hot. Not as much as in her dream, but it was still much warmer than usual. Her body began to shake a little more, and had she looked up, Misty would have noticed Ash's facial expression becoming very concerned.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly.

"F…fine," Misty lied as she threw the sheets off of her, "it's too freaking hot in here. Why won't you put the air conditioning on?"

"It _is _on," Ash murmured, reaching out to touch Misty's forehead. His eyes grew wide and he thrust his hand away, "Misty, you're burning up!"

"No," was all Misty could mumble. She felt so tired.

"Yes," was Ash's stern response as he sat up on his knees, Misty's weak body falling limply away from his, "damn it, did you lie to me Misty? I asked you last night if you were feeling okay, and you said yes."

"Because I didn't feel sick last night," Misty moaned, rolling over onto her back.

"Well, you definitely are," Ash bit his lip, "okay, I'm staying home today. I'll…"

"No," Misty repeated.

"Misty…" Ash tried.

"You need to go to work," Misty gave a shake of the head; "I don't need to be babied." The last word sent Misty's adrenaline into panic mode, and she gripped at her stomach, "is the baby going to be okay?"

"I don't know!" Ash cried helplessly, "which is why I _won't _go to work, and I'll take _you _to the doctor's."

"Ash, please stop sacrificing yourself for me," Misty grinned weakly, "it's so sweet, and you don't know how much I appreciate it. But I think you really need to start putting yourself first. Well, at least for now."

"Mist…" Ash whined again.

"I don't want you losing the title," Misty's tone was firm, "this has been your dream. Your _entire_ life was about becoming a Pokémon Master. Now that you are one, you're just going to throw it away?"

After a few moments of silence, Ash responded quietly, "no…but…I'm so worried about you."

"It's probably just a cold, or something," Misty shrugged, "I'm not denying the fact that I have to go to the doctor. But you need to do some work. Let someone else take me."

"Like who?" Ash narrowed his eyes as he entered a pensive state.

"Maybe one of my sisters," Misty wondered aloud.

"No!" Ash automatically shot the idea down.

"Oh yeah, they don't even know I'm pregnant yet," Misty remembered suddenly, "guess I should tell them soon. And my parents…" She groaned at the last thought.

"You hate your parents," Ash shook his head quickly.

"I don't _hate _them," Misty disagreed, "we just have a very damaged relationship is all. It's their fault anyway."

"So then maybe you shouldn't let them know," Ash's voice was quiet. Misty turned her head slowly to face Ash, and she furrowed her brow.

"What're you saying?" She inquired.

"Well," Ash nervously rubbed the back of his neck, "maybe we should keep the baby away from your parents. They might not be a good influence for it." Ash solidified his last statement with a single nod.

Misty sighed and buried her head deeper into the mattress, "I don't think I can do that."

"Why not?" Ash threw himself back down so hard that Misty's body flew a little. Giggling quietly at her frightened, wide eyed look, Ash nestled closer to her again, blinking curiously.

"I…do still love them," Misty bit her lip, "I just have very little respect for them."

"So, you _do _want them in the baby's life?" He touched her stomach. Misty thought for another moment, but then nodded. "Okay," Ash sighed, "and you're still shivering."

"Obviously," Misty huffed, "I'm still sick."

"Hormones," Ash replied in a sing song voice, jumping out of bed when Misty tried to smack him. He laughed heartily as he stood by the side of the bed. Misty groaned and closed her eyes, causing Ash to stop his fit of chuckles.

"I need to go to the doctor," Misty decided softly.

"Yes, you do," Ash agreed, "now, who will take you?"

Misty groaned inwardly at the thought. She would've suggested Ash's mother, but Delia was going to be out all day running errands. Biting her lip, Misty made a regretful suggestion.

"I…I'll ask my mother," Misty contemplated, "I'll tell her about the baby, and then she can take me to the doctor."

"You're going to call her over?" Ash questioned as he wandered into the closet.

"No, I'll just walk over there," Misty shrugged.

"What?" Ash snapped his head out from the closet, and Misty could tell he had a shirt only half on. It made her giggle lovingly.

"Come on, it's not so bad," Misty fluttered her eyelashes sweetly. She raised a hand to feel the fever on her forehead. It didn't feel as bad as before, but she probably wasn't the best person to determine that.

"I don't care," Ash quipped as he pulled his shirt fully on, "I don't want you moving around so much! I mean…what if you faint again?" He was frowning, the worry evident in his sugary brown eyes.

"Oh Ashy," Misty smiled, "your concern is sweet, but unnecessary. I'll be fine. Vaporeon will stay out of her poke ball and walk with me. Azumarill too, if you feel more comfortable that way."

"Can't you call one of your sisters to pick you up?" Ash was practically begging, "they have cars. I'm not stupid Misty. Aside from clothes and make up, that's all they ever spend their money on."

"Yeah," Misty contemplated the fact, "I guess I could call Daisy. Would that make you feel better?"

"Much," Ash sighed tiredly as he retreated back into the closet.

"See how loving and protective your daddy is?" Misty whispered laughingly to her midsection as she gently rubbed it.

**XXX**

Misty did as Ash had requested, calling up Daisy and asking her for a ride to their parents' house.

"_Why do I have to come get you?"_ Daisy whined, _"Dakota is spending the day with Tracey, so I thought I would be able to go to the spa!"_

"You can still go to the spa," Misty responded snappily, "all I need you to do is drive me to the house!"

"_Can't you walk?"_

Misty took a deep breath before responding, "no."

"_Why not?"_

"It's a long story! Just get me, okay?"

"_Yeesh, relax!"_ Daisy groaned, _"fine. I'll pick you up. Be there in twenty minutes."_

Misty sighed as she disconnected the call. Into the kitchen came Vaporeon, who looked up curiously at her trainer.

"Vaypy?" Vaporeon inquired as she sat down by Misty's legs, tail swishing elegantly.

"I'm alright Vaporeon," Misty assured, stroking the water type's smooth blue skin, "I'm just feeling a little guilty. Maybe I should've told Daisy why I can't walk the whole way there. But it just felt too wrong to tell her I'm pregnant over the phone."

"Vay," Vaporeon purred as Misty continued to pet her.

"Now, why don't you stay here and guard the gym for me? You certainly don't want to come with me to where I'm going," Misty giggled, feeling a sudden sensation of lightheadedness. Maybe she was crazy, but Misty could've sworn her fever had just spiked. Fortunately, Vaporeon agreed to her request, but also refused to leave her trainer's side until Daisy arrived.

It didn't take long for Misty to hear the honk of a horn, and she knew instantly it was Daisy's car. She made sure to get up as slowly as possible, hoping that the lightheadedness wouldn't get the better of her.

"Vay?" Vaporeon tilted her head, and Misty giggled softly.

"Stop worrying silly! I _promise _everything is just fine! Watch the gym like you agreed to, okay?" Vaporeon breathed out and nodded. "Thank you Vaporeon. I'll be back later!"

Right before opening the door, however, Misty stopped dead in her tracks, fingers wrapped around the doorknob. She was wearing a purple tank top, and when she looked down, she realized her burgeoning belly was pretty obvious.

"Even Daisy won't be dense enough to miss this," Misty sighed, placing a hand on her midsection, "I wonder why I seem to be so big already…"

Either way, the gym leader knew she had to find a way to cover up her stomach. At least until she told Daisy what was up. Turning her attention over to the set of hooks by the door, Misty caught sight of her favorite, sky blue hoodie hanging from the far left catch.

"Perfect," Misty whispered to herself, grabbing the garment. Daisy honked again, causing Misty to roll her eyes. Quickly hugging the sweatshirt, and making sure it was completely covering her midsection, Misty swung the front door open and strode outside.

She smiled weakly at Daisy, who looked less than amused, and jumped into the passenger seat.

"You realize I'm going to be late for my facial now, correct?" Daisy huffed as she lowered her white sunglasses. Misty stared into her sister's annoyed sea green eyes, and rolled her own emerald orbs.

"Daisy, don't get smart with me," Misty breathed, resting her head against the back of the seat, "I'm not feeling well, and I don't need your attitude right now."

"Not feeling well, hmm?" Daisy raised her sunglasses again and began driving, "where you and Ash partying last night?"

"Why would we be doing that?" Misty rubbed her sore temples.

"It's almost your twenty first birthday!" Daisy laughed, "I thought you'd get a head start on the celebration."

_Too bad the baby I'm carrying needs its twenty one year old mother to take care of it, _Misty considered responding.

"Definitely not," Misty sighed tiredly.

At a red light, Daisy casually looked over her sister, and gasped loudly. Misty furrowed her brow and stared confusedly at Daisy.

"What's with the noises?" Misty inquired.

"Misty," Daisy gaped, "did…did you get a boob job?"

Misty's eyes practically shot out of her head. "Excuse me?"

"I'm serious," Daisy's facial expression remained shocked as the light turned green and she hit the gas, "your chest was_ not_ that developed before, and I know for a fact you're not still growing."

"This conversation is ridiculous," Misty scowled.

"Oh! I get it now! Ash _totally _bought you a boob job for your birthday!"

"WHAT?" Misty looked horrified.

"That's a pretty nice present for your twenty first birthday. But then again, you guys can totally afford it. I'm jealous!"

_Alright, that's it, _Misty mentally decided.

"Daisy, I did not get a _boob job_," Misty seethed.

"Really?" Daisy asked skeptically, "then explain your decent sized chest."

"I'm pregnant."

"Haha, yeah ri…wait, what?"

Misty sighed in an annoyed fashion and leaned in closer to Daisy, slowly repeating her last sentence. "I am pregnant. With a baby. Ash's baby. Got it?"

"Got it," Daisy breathed out. After taking a few moments to process the news, the older blonde became very excited. "I can't believe I'm going to be an aunt!"

"You're already an aunt," Misty blinked.

"Oh yeah," Daisy laughed airily. Misty sighed. Her older sisters had in fact gotten smarter over the years, but they had still retained some of their air headedness. "But still, you _are _my baby sister, and now you're _having _a baby!"

"That's true," Misty smiled fondly at the thought.

"Wait a minute," Daisy turned to Misty again once they were at a stop sign, "how far along are you?"

"Uh, four months."

"WHAT? And it took you this long to tell me?"

"I was nervous!"

"What've you got to be nervous about?"

Misty considered divulging all the details of her condition, but decided against it. "I don't know."

"Four months means you should be showing," Daisy raised a wry eyebrow when she glanced at Misty. The younger red head giggled nervously and hugged the sweatshirt more tightly. "And is that why you dragged that sweatshirt along with you? Even though it's nearly the middle of July?"

"Yeah," Misty blushed furiously, "you got me."

"So you _are _showing?"

"Quite a bit, yeah."

"Well then, let me see."

"Not right now," Misty sighed, "pay attention to the road."

Daisy groaned but kept on driving. They still had a little ways to go before they would reach Cerulean City. Misty had made a personal vow to visit the gym while she was there. She missed running the gym, and desperately wanted to return to her position. But she was sure her sisters were doing a well enough job filling in for her. At least she hadn't received any whinny phone calls yet. It was strange, but at the same time relieving.

After some more driving, Daisy pulled over to the side of a quiet street. Misty gave her older sister a confused look.

"Daisy, why'd we stop?"

Turning to Misty, Daisy pulled her white sunglasses up and rested them on the top of her blonde head. Leaning her right arm on the steering wheel, Daisy asked simply, "let me see it."

"See what?" Misty furrowed her brow.

"And you always called _me _the airhead?" Daisy's eyebrows shot up, and Misty rolled her eyes. "I mean your stomach."

"Why do you want to see it so badly?" Misty slumped down in her seat.

"Because it's going to be _adorable!_" Daisy squealed, "Now let me see."

Misty sighed, knowing full well that Daisy wouldn't keep going until she got her way. Unbuckling her seatbelt and moving the sweatshirt away, Misty turned towards Daisy. The older blonde's sea green eyes lowered themselves down towards Misty's midsection, where the purple material of her tank top was tight around her growing bump. Instead of cooing, like Misty expected Daisy to do, however, the oldest Sensational Sister looked back up at Misty, her eyebrows raised.

"What's wrong?" Misty blinked.

"You said you were four months along, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"It's just…you look too big to be at four months." Daisy braced for her sister to start screaming at her, or worse, whip out her mallet, but she was shocked when she realized that Misty wasn't coming after her at all.

"You see it too?" Misty asked in a hushed tone. Daisy nodded slowly, and Misty sighed dejectedly.

"Have you been eating a lot?"

"Well…yeah. But not _too _much. And it's not like I'm eating junk food either. I'm eating a lot of fruit, really. That's what my cravings are for. Especially apples."

"Maybe the baby's just big," Daisy shrugged as she continued driving, "Ash _is _kind of tall."

"Kind of," Misty emphasized the words, "not really."

"Hm. It's probably nothing," Daisy finally concluded. Misty suddenly began to shiver, a case of chills overtaking her body. She retrieved her sweatshirt and pulled it on, zipping it up not all the way, but to about the bottom of her chest. Misty then groaned and shut her eyes. She was _definitely _beginning to feel worse.

After closing her eyes, Misty must have drifted off, because when she reopened her eyes, they had just entered Cerulean City. She breathed out softly and rubbed the sleep away from her eyes, taking in the familiar sights of her home city. She couldn't wait until her and Ash's new house would be finished. Cerulean City, in Misty's eyes, was a perfect place for them to raise their child.

"Ah, you're awake!" Daisy trilled. "You had me talking to myself for quite some time. I hadn't realized you'd dosed off."

"Sorry," Misty grinned weakly. Her head was pounding and she still had chills.

"I know I'm supposed to be taking you to Mom and Dad's house," Daisy continued, "but do you think we could stop by the gym first? Violet and Lily called me while you were asleep, and they were kind of freaking out."

"Is there something wrong at the gym?" Misty asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure," Daisy sighed, "but they were practically screaming at me. So we should probably go see what's up."

When Daisy pulled up the gym, Violet and Lily came running out, their eyes frantic.

"Misty!" Violet shrieked, "help!"

"What is going on?" Misty folded her arms and stared at her two older sisters.

"We, like, can't get Gyrados to calm down!" Lily cried.

"You're the only one who knows how to deal with him!" Violet added nervously.

"Okay, I'll help," Misty nodded her head, "but first, there's something you two should know…"

"It'll have to wait!" Violet interrupted, opening the car door and pulling at Misty's arm. She dragged her all the way into the gym, where Misty was finally able to free herself.

"Violet, I'm serious!" Misty tried, "it's _really _important."

"Well right now, this situation with Gyrados is _really _important!" Violet placed her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, we don't want him to like, destroy the gym!" Lily chimed in. "So tell us after!" She and Violet dashed towards the battle area. Misty rolled her eyes, and seeing that she really had no other choice, followed after her panicking siblings. Daisy, meanwhile, bit her lip and trailed behind Misty.

When she entered the battle area, Misty gasped at the sight of her poor Gyrados. He was thrashing himself around in the pool, roaring angrily as he did so.

"What's wrong with him?" Misty turned to her sisters, "what did you do?"

"He got confused during a gym battle this morning," Lily replied with a frown.

"And you didn't even give him any medicine?" Misty was furious, "or call Nurse Joy?"

"How were we supposed to give him any medicine?" Violet huffed, "he just won't relax."

"And I don't know why we didn't call Nurse Joy," Lily rubbed the back of her head.

"This is _so _ridiculous," Misty growled, "I leave you arguably my _strongest _Pokémon so you can keep the gym alive and well, and you let the poor thing suffer like this!"

"Well, we wouldn't have this problem if you had just left us Vaporeon or Azumarill!" Violet defended.

"Those two are my partners! There's no chance in hell I would ever let you use them."

Gyrados roared once again and began to attack the diving board, causing the entire room to shake.

"Misty, _please _help us," Lily begged as she knit her eyebrows together.

"Fine!" Misty snapped, walking forward very shakily. Half of it was from her spiking fever, and the other half was from fear. Of course, she used to be absolutely terrified of Gyrados, considering one tried to eat her as a baby. Misty had gotten over that fear, and now Gyrados was one of her best Pokémon, and a typically friendly one at that. But watching the monstrous water type thrash around in his confused state filled Misty with immense terror.

As she got closer to Gyardos, a harsh movement came from within her abdomen. It was certainly the most the unborn child had ever moved, but it still wasn't a kick. If Misty had to guess, the baby was most likely picking up on her stress and becoming upset. Misty laid a comforting hand atop her belly and began to rub absent mindedly.

"It's okay," Misty whispered softly, "Mommy is going to take care of this. It'll be okay."

Standing at the edge of the pool, Misty took a deep breath and called out, "Gyardos!" The Pokémon continued to throw his large body around, eyes shut tightly in pain. "Gyrados, calm down! It's me, Misty! I'll help you, but first you have to relax!"

The water type refused to listen. He was just too confused. Misty moaned, holding at her sore head. The fever was causing her some serious issues. At this point, she could hardly stand. Roaring yet again, Gyardos swung his large head downward and hit Misty, knocking the red head to the floor.

"OW!" Misty cried. She had landed harshly on her side, and while the pain was spreading all over her body, it was worst in her stomach. She had trouble catching her breath, and when she tried to sit up, she simply couldn't. The horrific twinge in her midsection was just too much to deal with. Wincing, Misty lowered her head and tried to stop the hot, threatening tears.

"Misty!"

The gym leader turned her head around very slowly and found Daisy hurrying over to her. Lily and Violet were quickly following the concerned blonde.

"Daisy," Misty wailed, tears falling freely down her cheeks now, "it…it hurts."

"You hit your stomach, didn't you?" Daisy trembled as she brushed back some of Misty's out of place strands. Violet and Lily cast each other confused glances. When Misty nodded, Daisy leaned over her youngest sister and pressed a hand against her belly. The middle two sisters gasped and once again exchanged quick looks. They suddenly understood what was going on.

"It…it was moving before, and now it's not," Misty sobbed, "Daisy…"

"It's okay, Misty," Daisy hushed, "I'm going to help you. Don't worry."

"Daisy," Violet asked shakily, "is…is Misty…pregnant?"

"That's what she was trying to tell you two," Daisy's eyes were narrowed viciously when she addressed Violet and Lily, "and you wouldn't listen."

"We…we didn't know!" Lily cried, her eyes welling up with tears. "What if the baby is in danger now?"

"Daisy," Misty choked out weakly. The eldest sister turned her attention back to Misty, who was now holding up a pearly blue cell phone. "Call my doctor. His number is on the contact list. Hurry." She let out a little whimper and curled up into a ball.

"Who do you have his number on your phone?" Violet inquired softly.

"Because my pregnancy is high risk," Misty breathed heavily, "oh my Arceus this hurts!"

Lily felt absolutely miserable. She and Violet were the cause of all of this, and now their youngest sister was in serious danger. Groaning inwardly, Lily thought sadly, _What have we done?_

* * *

><p><strong>I'm evil for leaving it off at this part, aren't I? I'm sorry XD <strong>

**Want to know what happens next? Then you'll just have to wait! In the mean time, you _could_ leave a review. They're super nice, you know :P Maybe the next chapter will even go up faster! Look for it maybe towards the end of the week (because I only have one final this week, I'll have time to write and upload.)**

**Until then, dear readers!**


	7. A New Hope

**Well well, look who decided to update the story! I think it's because I'm in a good mood because my final today was easy, and I think I did pretty good. Also because this chapter is alot shorter than usual. That doesn't mean it's not good though!**

**After all, we need to find out what happened to Misty...**

* * *

><p>Violet and Lily sat in the waiting room of the Cerulean City hospital. Naturally, Misty was infuriated with the two, and currently wanted nothing to do with them. Daisy had taken Misty to the hospital, and Violet and Lily had gotten their mother and brought her in their own car. They at least felt relieved in that their mother hadn't known about the pregnancy either. They certainly didn't want to be the last ones to know.<p>

"What do you think Misty meant when she said her pregnancy is high risk?" Violet asked quietly.

"I don't know," Lily mumbled, "but I hate myself right now."

"But we didn't know," Violet tried to make Lily feel better, but on the inside, she was feeling the same as her pink haired sister.

"It doesn't matter," Lily shook her head, "it's our fault. If we had just listened to Misty instead of forcing her to help us, she would be okay. Now…what if she loses the baby?"

"We can't think like that," Violet frowned, "we have to keep hope."

Lily nodded, and suddenly got an idea. She would probably regret it, but it was the right thing to do. Standing up, she began to walk down the corridor, heading towards a video phone she had passed earlier.

"Where are you going, Lil?" Violet called out. Lily turned around and sighed, locks of hair covering her crystal blue eyes.

"I need to make an important phone call."

**XXX**

"Oh honey, I just don't understand why you wouldn't tell me about the baby," Misty's mother, Lynne, breathed sadly as she brushed through her youngest daughter's hair.

"Because Mom, I just couldn't," Misty sighed deeply. She was absolutely crushed. The baby, who had been moving like crazy prior to Misty hitting the ground, hadn't moved since, and the red head was now assuming the worst.

"There's something more," Daisy murmured from Misty's other side. Lynne looked over towards her oldest daughter, causing her auburn hair to fall over her own sea green eyes.

"What do you mean by that, Daisy?"

"Misty," Daisy addressed her sister now, "in the gym, you said your pregnancy is high risk. Why's that?" Misty opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out. The more she thought about it, the more miserable she became.

"She got the gene," Lynne shook her head. Daisy and Misty both turned to their mother, who continued, "There's a gene in our family that can cause pregnancy to be fairly detrimental. My guess is Misty has it." The gym leader nodded to confirm her mother's thought.

"But I guess it doesn't matter now," Misty's eyes narrowed, "I'm not pregnant anymore."

"Misty, you don't know that!" Daisy grabbed her youngest sister's shoulder.

"Yes, don't think like that sweetheart," Lynne held Misty's hand, "have faith."

Misty simply growled. How could she have faith when the world was just _so_ evil?

**XXX**

At the same time, Lily sat awkwardly in front of the video phone, waiting in dread for the other person to pick up. The screen suddenly came to life, an image of Ash appearing on the screen. At the sight of his wife's sister, he raised an eyebrow and slightly tilted his head.

"Lily?" Ash asked.

"Uh, hi Ash," Lily looked down sheepishly.

"Hey," Ash still looked highly confused, "so…is there any reason you called?"

"Um, well, yes actually. There is."

"Where are you?" Ash interrupted, his eyes clearly averting to the background behind Lily, "you're not at the gym, are you?"

"Uh, no," Lily shook her head somberly, "I'm…I'm at the hospital."

"Why are you at a hospital?"

"Because…" Lily closed her eyes tightly, "because Misty needed to go." She kept her eyes shut, and there was complete silence. As she slowly began to open her eyes, she could see that Ash looked _incredibly _sick all of a sudden. He was so pale, and his eyes were the size of saucers.

"Wh…what?" Ash questioned, voice shaking violently, "Wh…why is she there? What's wrong with her?"

"Well, you see…"

"LILY!" Ash roared, pulling at his messy raven hair.

"She got hurt!" Lily blurted out, tears filling her eyes, "she was trying to help Gyrados, because he was confused from a battle. So he ended up hitting her and she fell on the ground!"

"Is the baby okay? Is…is Misty okay?" Ash was on the verge of having a panic attack. Lily opened her mouth to respond, but Ash interrupted once again. "Oh, just forget it. I'm coming over there right now!" And with that, the connection ended.

**XXX**

Misty whined softly as she leaned back in the hospital bed. She was still terribly sore, and her fever was still raging. They had been there for nearly an hour, but Dr. Aaron hadn't been in to see her yet. As her mother stroked her hand, and Daisy rested her head by her side, Misty's eyes flickered open once again when she heard the door open. She was expecting it to be the doctor, but when she saw who it was, her heart began to pound.

"Ash!" Misty cried. The raven haired master looked his wife over with his dark brown eyes, simply staring at her for a few seconds. Then, as thought it had just hit him that it was her, he raced forward and hugged her tightly, refusing to let go.

"Misty, are you okay?" Ash cried, rocking Misty left to right very gently. She began to sob, shaking her head as she buried it into the crook between Ash's strong neck and shoulder. He looked between Lynne and Daisy, who had now raised her head. "What happened?" Ash asked, his voice once again quavering. He remembered what Lily had said, but he felt so numb, it was the only question he could get out.

"Gyrados knocked her down," Daisy answered, "and she fell on her side."

"Did she hit her stomach?" Ash asked fearfully. Misty continued to cry, and Ash laid a gentle hand on the back of her head.

"Yes," Lynne responded this time, "at least, that's what Daisy said."

"And…what about the baby?" Ash began to rock Misty again.

"We don't know about the baby," Lynne frowned, "the doctor hasn't been in to see her yet."

"Ugh, why not?" Ash growled, hugging Misty even tighter when she began to stir. "If my baby is in danger…they…they should be helping it!"

"I know how hard this is Ash," Lynne touched the young man's shoulder, "believe me, I know. I'm sure he'll be in soon…" As Lynne began to trail off, the door to the room opened once again. Ash turned his head, although Misty didn't bother to raise hers. Into the room walked Dr. Aaron, his face looking fairly concerned.

"Hello doctor," Lynne stood up, "I'm Misty's mother, Lynne. And this is her oldest sister, Daisy," she motioned towards the blonde, who was staring at that physician in a way that would probably cause Tracey to have a heart attack.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Dr. Aaron," he smiled kindly.

"I think it'd be best if we left you with just Ash and Misty," Lynne gave a small nod, "come along Daisy." Her daughter nodded mindlessly, still looking at the doctor. She got up, however, and followed her mother out of the room. Ash finally pulled away from Misty, and he could feel his heart breaking when he laid his eyes upon her tear streaked face.

"Misty, lie down and lift your shirt up," Dr. Aaron requested. She nodded slowly, doing as she was told. Lifting up her shirt, she revealed her round belly, which Ash instinctively began to caress. "What exactly happened to you, dear?"

As the doctor began to prepare the ultrasound machine, Misty sniffed and recounted the same story that had been told all afternoon. Dr. Aaron nodded as he rubbed the cold gel on Misty's stomach.

"That sounds awful," Dr. Aaron sighed as he began to run the wand over Misty's midsection.

"And I haven't felt the baby move since then," Misty continued tearfully. Dr. Aaron was gazing at the screen as he moved the probe around, desperately searching for the unborn baby. He had even turned the sound up on the machine, but no noises were coming through. More tears began to fall from Misty's eyes, and Ash carefully cleared them away. Both of them knew this was bad.

"I see the baby," Dr. Aaron announced, "but I'm afraid I don't hear a…"

_Thump. Thump._

Ash and Misty looked up with wide eyes. Dr. Aaron turned back to the screen, watching it intently.

"Is that…?" Ash asked softly. A wide grin broke out on the physician's face.

"Yes. There it is. Your baby's heartbeat."

Ash breathed in deeply as he listened to the fast paced, heavy pounding. It was his child's heartbeat; its sign of life.

"Oh, thank Arceus," Misty cried, her tears now becoming happy tears. Ash also had tears forming in his eyes. He leaned over and kissed Misty's damp cheek, giggling gently against it. She then turned her head in order to look at the screen, and Ash did the same. They marveled at the image of their little baby, who no longer looked like a blob, but much more like an actual person.

"That's a relief," Dr. Aaron sighed, "I really thought we were in trouble there for a minute. But your little one really pulled through."

"So why do you think it stopped moving?" Ash asked as he rubbed the tears out of his eyes.

"Probably out of shock. What happened to Misty was definitely not a good thing. It was probably terrified."

_Thump thump. Thump thump._

Dr. Aaron turned back to the machine, and Ash and Misty silently panicked.

"What was that?" Ash asked nervously, "it…doesn't sound right."

Dr. Aaron continued to move the wand around Misty's bare belly, and when he got to a particular spot, he stopped and moved closer to the screen. What he saw made him gasp lightly. "Oh my…"

"What?" Misty quivered, "is something wrong? Did the baby have a relapse?"

"No…that's not it…" Dr. Aaron shook his head.

"So, what is it?" Ash gripped Misty's hand. Dr. Aaron moved out of the way of the screen so Ash and Misty could see it more clearly.

"Well, here's your baby," Dr. Aaron pointed at the unborn child.

"Right," Misty nodded, not understanding where he was going with this.

"And right here," the doctor pointed slightly behind the image of the baby, "is your _other _baby."

Misty kept on nodding, until what he said finally hit her. She sat up quickly, her eyes almost shooting out of her head. "_Other baby?"_

"That's right," Dr. Aaron laughed.

"Other baby," Misty repeated, laughing dryly, "I can't believe it."

Ash, meanwhile, was just not getting it. "What does he mean?"

"Ash…you don't understand what 'other baby' means?" Misty raised an eyebrow. Ash innocently shook his head.

"You guys are having more than one baby," Dr. Aaron smiled, "twins, in fact." Ash laughed slightly, and then, he suddenly stopped, his eyes growing unbelievably wide.

"T…twins?" He repeated. Dr. Aaron nodded, his smile growing even wider.

And that's when Ash fainted.

**XXX**

When Ash's eyes fluttered open, he found Misty and Dr. Aaron standing over him. The doctor was laughing softly, and Misty was lovingly rubbing her stomach.

"Hey, look who decided to wake up," Misty teased.

"You alright, Ash?" Dr. Aaron smirked.

"Yeah," the Pokémon master rubbed his head as he sat up, "but I had a _crazy_ dream. I dreamed that Misty was pregnant with twins." Dr. Aaron and Misty exchanged glances, and both began to chuckle again. Ash, once again, just looked confused.

"Ash, I _am _pregnant with twins," Misty giggled.

"That's actually why you fainted," Dr. Aaron nodded.

Ash turned to look at Misty, who still had a hand on her growing midsection. He reached out and placed a hand on top of hers, pressing against the bump.

"Now, as far as the fever goes, I believe it's just a simple cold," Dr. Aaron smiled, "I gave Misty some medicine, and her temperature has already begun to go down. She'll be just fine."

"The babies are okay too," Misty's tone was warm and joyful, and Ash looked up at her very quickly with a tiny smile. As soon as their eyes met, he lowered them to her stomach once again.

"I'll go tell your family the good news," Dr. Aaron nodded towards Misty as he left the room. Once he was gone, Ash pulled Misty down next to him. She blinked rapidly, but soon understood why. Ash was lifting her shirt up so he could clearly see her burgeoning belly. He ran his fingers over the smooth skin, and then leaned down in order to kiss it. Misty gasped lightly. It was so sweet. Ash had rubbed her stomach almost every day, but he had yet to do anything like this.

"I love you two so much," Ash murmured, keeping his lips pressed against Misty's rounded tummy, "and I'm so happy you're both okay. I won't _ever_ let _anyone_ hurt you two."

"A…Ash…" Misty breathed, her eyes filling with joyous tears. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his cheek against her still bare stomach.

"I mean it, Misty," Ash raised only his eyes to her, "no one."

Misty smiled and touched the back of Ash's head, "I believe you."

As he continued to press kisses against her stomach, Misty couldn't help but to leak a few of her happy tears. Everything was definitely going to be just fine.

* * *

><p><strong>Come on guys. I'm not evil enough to kill off a baby. Err, babies. Either way :P Isn't Ash cute?<strong>

**I'll try my best to update sometime next week, but it probably won't be until Wednesday at the earliest. My two hardest finals are next week (math and chemistry are _not_ your friends!) so I need to focus on that for a while.**

**Until then, remember to leave a review! Because it helps to motivate me. Also it makes you cool! Yep.**


	8. The Name Game

**...Can't...study...anymore. I've really been trying to study math all day, but there's only so much I can read about quadratics and trigonometric equations before my brain feels like it's going to explode. So, I decided, I'm gonna' go ahead and neglect studying for awhile to update my story! Yeah!**

**In this chapter, we find out the genders of the babies (although I think most of you know already :P) And there's some good Pokeshipping moments in this one!**

**So, enough of me frying everyone's brains with math words (don't worry, I don't understand them either!) and onto the story!**

* * *

><p>Waking up early in the morning, Misty couldn't help but to groan.<p>

Her stomach had grown quite rapidly in the past few weeks, and she was already feeling like she'd swallowed an entire watermelon. She wasn't _that _big yet, but she certainly felt like it. From behind, she could feel Ash beginning to stir, a long yawn escaping from his mouth as he stretched.

"Morning Mist," he winked lovingly, jumping out of bed.

"Ash," Misty furrowed her brow.

"Yeah?"

"Help me up."

"Why?" Ash began to panic ever so slightly, "are you pain? You're not having contractions are you?"

"No, considering I'm not due for another four months," Misty narrowed her eyes, "I'm just not used to all this weight. I feel uneasy."

"Aw, poor dear," Ash cooed, walking over to Misty's side of the bed.

"Won't you help me?" Misty pouted playfully, causing Ash to chuckle.

"Of course I'll help you beautiful!" He wrapped his arms around the red head and pulled her up effortlessly. Giggling, Misty thanked her smiling husband by pressing her lips against his, the two becoming absorbed in a deep and passionate kiss. As the couple was occupied by their close contact, Ash suddenly gasped and jumped away, leaving a wide eyed Misty to raise a hand to her stomach in shock.

"Wh…what was that?" Ash stammered, blinking rapidly.

"One of them kicked," Misty responded slowly. After a few seconds, a huge grin broke out on her face, and she raced forward, hugging Ash tightly. "One of them kicked!"

Ash continued to gape as he felt the movements coming from his wife's stomach. It was so…strange. But at the same time, it was one of the greatest things he'd ever felt in his life.

"How's it so strong?" Ash inquired with a laugh, "it's such a tiny little thing!"

"It's obviously taking after its father," Misty teased, brushing her eyelashes against Ash's cheek. Ash smiled happily in return, but a frown soon overtook his face. "What's wrong Ashy?"

"How come only one is kicking?" Ash questioned, "Do you think there's something wrong with the other one?"

"Not at all," Misty expressed amusement at Ash's inquiry, "maybe it just doesn't feel like it right now. It could be sleeping."

"You're sure?" Ash wanted to be absolutely positive the dormant baby was okay. Misty sighed deeply. He was _so _overprotective.

"Positive," Misty nodded as a tiny smile appeared on her face, "but if you _really _want to make sure, I'm going to the doctor's again in a few days. You'll be able to check on our sleepy little one."

"Don't call it sleepy," Ash huffed, "it could be sick!"

"I promise you it's not," Misty groaned, playfully smacking his shoulder, "just wait."

**XXX**

Just as Misty had promised her concerned husband, the two of them were sitting in the doctor's office several days later, waiting to get another look at their little babies.

"The other one still hasn't kicked," Ash grumbled as he looked up at Misty.

"You're going to be _such _an annoying dad," Misty rolled her eyes, "seriously. Don't go and push these poor things."

"I'm not gonna' push 'em," Ash furrowed his brow, "they can do whatever they want."

"That's the wrong attitude too!" Misty grew wide eyed.

"What do you mean?" Ash wailed. Pikachu, who was sitting on Ash's lap, tilted his head confusedly.

"You can't give them free reign," Misty shook her head, "because then they won't listen to you."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Ash looked extremely nervous. The twins weren't even born yet and he already felt like a terrible father.

"Just be as sweet and loving with them as you are with me," Misty smiled kindly, "that's all you really need to do."

"But what if I screw up?" Ash frowned, "I don't want them to hate me!"

"They won't hate you, Ash. Trust me. They're going to adore you. You'll be an excellent father, I just know it!"

"But…"

Before Ash could continue, the door to the examination room opened, causing Pikachu to turn his head and flick his long, slender ears.

"Hello you two," Dr. Aaron smiled boldly at the expectant parents, "this is an exciting day for you both, isn't it?"

"Yeah, we get to see the babies again!" Ash responded, his face glowing with excitement.

"Yes you do," Dr. Aaron laughed, "but that's not all!"

"Huh?" Misty raised one of her willowy eyebrows, "what do you mean?"

"Well, you're about five months along now. I _should_ be able to tell you the gender of the babies."

"Really?" Ash was practically jumping up and down at this point, causing Misty to roll her eyes. She couldn't blame him, however. Finding out whether she was carrying two boys, two girls, or one of each was enough to send her heart racing.

"Yep," the handsome doctor laughed as he walked over to Misty, "I'm just going to give you a quick examination, and then we can find out what you're having!" The physician pressed his hands against Misty's swollen belly, a smile appearing on his face about midway through. Misty giggled gently, and Ash switched his gaze between the two.

"What's so funny?" Ash asked nervously.

"One of them just kicked me," Dr. Aaron chuckled, "it's very strong!"

"Just one?" Ash murmured worriedly, his brow bending. Misty cast him a reassuring glance before looking back down at the doctor.

"Have they both been kicking?" Dr. Aaron finally asked. Ash gave Misty a frantic look. _This is bad,_ Ash thought miserably, _we're totally gonna' find out something is wrong. _Misty, however, still didn't look concerned.

"Just one, for now," Misty replied.

"Okay," the physician nodded softly, removing his hands from Misty's bulge.

"Wait, that's it?" Ash cried, causing the doctor to turn around, "aren't you…you know, concerned or anything?"

"Not at all," Dr. Aaron shook his head, "the other one might just be developing at a slower rate than the one who's moving around now." Placing the buds of the stethoscope into his ears, the doctor added, "You have no reason to worry."

"Pikapi!" Pikachu snickered at his human friend. Ash groaned lightly and glared at the little electric type. Once the doctor was finished examining Misty, he broke out the ultrasound machine, giggling when he saw sheer happiness flash through Misty's eyes.

"So, you two definitely want to know what you're having?" Dr. Aaron asked as he spread the gel on Misty's stomach. The cold made her visibly shiver, but she was quickly back to smiling as she looked at Ash.

"What do you think, Ash? Should we?"

"Well, I'm super impatient," Ash chuckled as he stood up in order to move closer to Misty, "so I say yes."

"Usually I'd like to be surprised," Misty mused sweetly, "but I think for this, I want to know in advance."

"Really?" Ash sounded genuinely shocked.

"I think waiting another four months to know would kill me," Misty shrugged, "I want to find out now and start preparing properly for their arrival." Ash chuckled and rolled his eyes playfully. Only Misty could make finding out the genders sound like such a suitable affair.

"Okay then, here we go!" Dr. Aaron pressed the wand against Misty's stomach before turning his attention back to the small screen beside him. As he carefully studied the image, Ash glanced it over and smiled boldly. The babies were already much bigger than the last time he'd seen them. They really looked like babies now!

"Aren't they cute?" Misty's voice broke Ash out of his trance.

"Huh? Oh yeah," Ash nodded, "they're adorable! Big too, I think."

"Right, just as I thought," Dr. Aaron beamed, "they're perfectly healthy!"

"Even the one that hasn't kicked yet?" Ash asked.

"Yes," the physician chuckled at the inquiry.

"Can you tell what they are?" Misty asked hopefully, excitement glinting through her dark green eyes.

"I can!" Dr. Aaron nodded. He went to examine the screen yet again, and after a moment, pointed at the slightly larger of the two babies. "See this one?"

"Uh huh," Misty affirmed happily.

"That one is a boy," the physician announced brightly. Misty awed happily, and a wide smile appeared on Ash's face. His wish had come true! He was going to have a son! As the parents cooed at the image of their son, he gave Misty a good kick, which Ash was able to see on the screen.

"Hey, he just jabbed you!" Ash chuckled.

"That definitely came from the same spot where I've been feeling the kicks," Misty glanced at Dr. Aaron.

"Yes, it would appear that that little guy is the one who's been beating up your insides," Dr. Aaron smirked.

"Ah, so he really _is _taking after his father," Misty gave Ash a sly look.

"Very funny," Ash brushed back his black bangs with a little grin.

"What about the other baby?" Misty looked back at the doctor, "are we having two boys? Because that's what I've been thinking."

"Really?" Ash gave Misty a surprised look.

"Yeah. Between the dreams I've been having, and just the way I feel, I think that the other one is a boy too."

"Well, let's find out!" Dr. Aaron took another look at the screen. He locked his eyes on the smaller of the two, laughing after a few moments.

"Am I right?" Misty raised a curious eyebrow.

"Actually," Dr. Aaron sighed teasingly, "you're wrong. This little one is a girl."

"A…a girl?" Misty asked softly, her eyes shining.

"Yes," Dr. Aaron nodded, "so you'll have one of each."

"That's awesome!" Misty squealed, "Having both a boy and a girl will be _so_ much fun! Don't you think so Ash?" No response. "Ash?"

The dark haired Pokémon master thought he was going to faint again. It wasn't that he was unhappy about having a daughter, but…this was a _girl. _A sweet little girl. This was by far the scariest prospect he'd ever faced in his life. Relating to the boy would be easy enough, but the girl? What if he messed her up?

"Ash, honey, are you alright?" Misty grabbed at his hand.

"I'm gonna' screw up," Ash mumbled mindlessly.

"Oh Ash, you're not going to screw up," Misty rolled her eyes, "what makes you think that?"

"I already had all these plans for a boy, Mist. I practically have a whole arrangement on how to raise our son. But a little girl…they're so special, Misty. It just seems so much different than having a boy. I'm terrified."

"She's going to love you," Misty squeezed Ash's hand, "really. Just wait and see…" She trailed off slightly and an unreadable expression appeared on her face.

"Are you okay Misty?" Ash leaned down near her face.

"Yeah," Misty narrowed her eyes, "I just feel a little weird. There's a little tickle in my stomach." Dr. Aaron examined the screen and made a noise of realization.

"Your little girl is moving around," the physician pointed at the screen, "I'm thinking she's a little uncomfortable in her current position."

"Is it because her brother is taking up all the space?" Misty gazed at the screen. The boy was in fact stretching himself out, leaving very little room for the smaller girl.

"That's right," Dr. Aaron laughed. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the girl delivered a strong kick in the boy's direction.

"Ah!" Misty gasped with wide eyes. "That's the first time I've felt her kick!"

"You see Ash?" Dr. Aaron addressed the Pokémon master, "she's just fine! There's no need to worry about your little girl."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Ash blushed a little. It sounded dumb, but he was so relieved to have seen the little girl kick. He had been so concerned about her, but there really seemed to be nothing to worry about.

Misty flinched as the boy took a shot at his sister for kicking him, clearly annoyed by her previous action.

"Yeah," Misty added, "now all we need to worry about is the fact that they seem to enjoy fighting."

**XXX**

"Up Ashy!"

Ash shot up when a puff of air accompanied by a loud noise disrupted his afternoon nap, causing his eyes to dart back and forth. When he realized Misty was standing next to him, Ash let out a little yawn and laid back down.

"I'm tired Misty. What is it?"

"I figured now that we know the genders of the babies, we should start coming up with names for them!"

"Names?" Ash raised an eyebrow, "now?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

"I don't know," Ash shrugged, "I just thought that maybe you'd want to see them first before giving them names."

"We're not necessarily going to name them now," Misty sat down next to Ash and picked up the thick book that she had dropped by his head to cause the disturbance, "but coming up with some ideas isn't always a bad thing."

"Okay then," Ash turned the book so he could see it better, "what is this?"

"It's a book of baby names," Misty replied in a soft voice, "I figured starting out in here might get us thinking."

"Well, I already have an idea for the boy," Ash looked up at Misty.

"Really?" Misty beamed, "what is it?"

"AJ," Ash grinned broadly.

"AJ? What does that stand for?"

"Ash Junior," Ash puffed his chest out proudly. Misty gave Ash an unamused look, causing Ash to furrow his brow. "Do you not like it?"

"No," Misty shook her head, "not really."

"Why not?" Ash frowned.

"I just think that our children should have their own identities," Misty explained, "You know, their own names and stuff. Our son shouldn't have to share his name with you, especially when you're the Pokémon master. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah," Ash did agree with his wife, although he couldn't help but to feel a little disheartened. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Well, for the girl, I was thinking maybe Autumn…"

"No," Ash interrupted immediately, his face scrunched up.

"Why not? What's wrong with Autumn?"

"I don't want our daughter to be named after a _season_," Ash shook his head, "it sounds weird."

"Okay, fine," Misty sighed, "what about Madison? Or Ava?"

"Neither," Ash decided after a moment of contemplation.

"Ugh, you're impossible," Misty rolled her eyes, "how about _you _come up with something?"

"Well, I suggested AJ, and you hated it," Ash folded his arms.

"Because it was a lame suggestion, Ash."

"Alright fine," Ash placed his hand on his chin and mused silently for a second. "For the boy, the name Ryan isn't bad."

"Ryan?" It was now Misty's turn to crumple up her nose, "I don't like it."

"How about Dustin?" Ash tried.

"Ew, no. It makes me think of something covered in dust," Misty shook her head, "or a dust pan. Either way, I'm not naming our son Dustin."

"This is harder than I thought it'd be…" Ash rubbed the back of his neck.

At that moment, the door bell rang, and Misty attempted to get up to answer it.

"No, you sit down," Ash pressed his hand onto Misty's shoulder, "I don't want you over working yourself."

"It's just answering the door," Misty blinked.

"I know," Ash blushed lightly, "just…stay here. Okay?"

"Alright," Misty yanked Ash down by his collar for a quick kiss before letting him go to the door. She smiled at his back as he walked away. _How does the densest boy in the entire world grow up to be the sweetest husband ever? _Misty wondered happily.

"Hey Misty," Ash's warm voice brought her back to reality, "we've got a visitor!"

Ash walked back into the room with Brock by his side, causing Misty's grin to widen.

"Hi Brock!" Misty greeted warmly. Without Ash there to stop her, she jumped up and hurried over to the Pokémon doctor, giving him a good, strong hug.

"Easy there Misty!" Brock chuckled as he returned Misty's embrace, "don't crush those poor little babies of yours!"

"They're okay," Misty pulled away and pressed her hands against her ever growing stomach. A series of kicks started up, causing Misty to look back at Brock with shimmering eyes. "Do you want to feel them move?"

"Are you okay with that?" Brock asked cautiously.

"Yeah," Misty nodded quickly as she grabbed Brock's hands and placed them on her bump, "I trust you."

Brock waited patiently until one of the babies delivered a kick that he felt against his palm. His eyebrows crawled up high, causing Misty to laugh.

"Wow that was powerful!" Brock didn't take his hands away from Misty's midsection, "do they like to move around?"

"Yes," Ash answered for Misty, "it's _all _I feel at night."

"Really?" Brock raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Because I like to hug Misty while she sleeps, so she's really close to me. And I swear they stay up all night working their legs out."

"They're going to be little athletes," Misty smiled fondly.

"Or maybe they're just going to be really hyperactive," Ash chuckled as he kissed Misty's temple.

"Well, I just came by to drop off some new Pokémon food that I've been trying out," Brock held a bag up to show Ash and Misty, "I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"Oh no, not at all!" Misty shook her head. "In fact, maybe you could help us out."

"With what?" Brock inquired.

"Well, we found out the babies' genders yesterday, so now we're just coming up with some name ideas," Misty explained.

"You found out what you're having?" Brock sounded very excited.

"Yeah," Ash beamed proudly, "a boy _and_ a girl!"

"Wow, one of each," Brock knocked fists with Ash, "that should be fun."

"You two are such boys," Misty sighed as she shook her head and walked back over to the couch. Her feet were really starting to hurt. "So Brock, have any suggestions?"

"Hmm…" Brock tapped his head, "I think the name Joy is pretty."

"Seriously Brock?" Misty furrowed her brow.

"I'm just teasing," Brock smirked, "how about Jenny?"

"BROCK!" Misty stormed.

"Don't tick her off man," Ash shook his head, "trust me. Not a good idea right now."

"Sorry," Brock chuckled, "have you asked anybody else for ideas?"

"I'm a little afraid to do that," Misty sighed.

"How come?" Brock blinked.

"Because then I'm afraid they'll start forcing names down our throats," Misty glanced over at Ash, "they have a habit of doing anything they can to get their way sometimes. I mean…I love them all, of course! But I _did _have a dream last night where May was paying me off to name one of the babies Spaghetti."

Brock snorted slightly, and Ash stared disbelievingly at his wife. "Alright Mist, I don't think you should be eating anymore of your weird cravings before bed."

The door opened once again, Delia now walking into the living room. She carried a bag from the grocery store; Mimey trailing behind her with two more.

"Ash, Misty, I'm home!" Delia announced sweetly. Suddenly seeing Brock, she gasped a little and added, "oh Brock! I'm sorry, I didn't see you!"

"It's alright Delia," Brock smiled and took the bag from her, "may I?"

"You're very sweet Brock," Delia giggled, "why don't you stay for dinner?"

"I would love to, if that's alright!" Brock nodded, "thank you very much!"

"It's no problem at all," Delia grinned. "So Misty how was your doctor's appointment?"

"Really good," Misty beamed.

"We found out what we're having Mom," Ash added, a sense of excitement in his voice.

"Really?" Delia's face lit up, "what are they?"

"One of each," Misty replied, "a boy and a girl."

"Oh, how wonderful!" The older woman clapped her hands together, "I'll have a grandson _and _a granddaughter! This is certainly cause for celebration! I'm going to start dinner. Come along Mimey!"

Ash smiled after his mother as she headed for the kitchen. "Wow, and I thought she was excited when we first told her you were pregnant!"

"I'm happy that she's happy," Misty glanced up at her husband, who nodded in agreement.

"So guys," Brock interrupted, "baby names!"

"Right," Misty blushed slightly, "sorry."

"Let me take a peak in that book," Brock held his hand out for the thick paperback. Misty gave it to the Pokémon doctor to scan through. After surveying a few pages, Brock piped back up. "Ah, here's a cute name for a boy!"

"My son isn't going to have a _cute _name!" Ash cried.

"Hush Ash," Misty gently slapped his wrist, "what is it Brock?"

"Rudy," Brock stated without raising his eyes from the page. A shocked expression appeared on Misty's face, and she slowly looked up at Ash. At Brock's suggestion, the Pokémon master lost all of the color in his face, and his eyes had grown comically wide. "What's wrong, Ash?"

"You just messed up big time," Misty gazed back at Brock.

"What did I do?" Brock scratched his head.

"Oh!" Misty gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "That's right, I forgot! You weren't there!"

"Weren't where?" Brock was highly confused.

Taking in a deep breath, Misty explained, "back when we were on the Orange Islands, there was a gym leader named Rudy. He…he kind of liked me. A lot."

"How much?" Brock prodded.

It took another moment, but Misty finally answered, "he wanted me to stay on Trovita Island with him."

"You mean…" Brock began.

"Okay, let's stop talking about it!" Ash stormed, the pallor of his face replaced with a deep red blush. "My son is not going to be named Rudy and that's that."

"Okay, okay!" Brock held out one of his hands, "I'm sorry Ash. I didn't know."

"It's okay," Ash sighed, pulling back some of his black mane.

"Let's see what other names are cute in here…" Brock began to flip some more pages. Finding another name he liked, Brock pressed a finger against it and announced, "how about this name for a girl? It's really pretty."

"A pretty name would be good, especially if she ends up looking like Misty," Ash smiled, causing Misty to blush lovingly. "What is it?"

"Melody," Brock answered. Now it was Misty's turn to go completely pale. "It's lovely! And it starts with an 'M' and ends with a 'Y' just like Misty's name does!"

"Strike two Brocko," Ash grabbed at Misty's arm, restraining her from attacking their good friend.

"Please tell me that Melody isn't someone else from the Orange Islands," Brock was practically begging.

"She is," Ash gave a single nod.

"And let me guess. She had a thing for you."

"Kind of, I guess," Ash furrowed his brow in thought, "she _did _give me a kiss on the cheek…"

"Under no circumstances will my baby girl be named _Melody!_" Misty said the name with a hint of disdain. Fire was burning in her emerald eyes, and Brock couldn't help but to feel that he was in for a world of trouble if Ash let go of the temperamental red head.

"Misty, relax…it's alright…" Brock began to back away slowly, "I meant no harm…"

"I understand," Misty quickly became all too serene. Brock shot her another confused look, to which she continued, "maybe I'll name her, oh I don't know, Ivy?"

A shiver went up Brock's spine as he let out a little cry before cowering in the corner.

"That…name…" Brock muttered miserably to himself.

"That wasn't nice Misty," Ash tried to scold his wife, but he couldn't stop the oncoming wave of giggles from slipping out of his mouth.

"That wasn't me talking," Misty smirked playfully as she rubbed her cheek against Ash's arm, "it was my hormones!"

**XXX**

Before going to bed that night, Misty was busy digging through her vanity drawers, trying to reorganize all of her jewelry. As she examined a delicate silver necklace, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her belly and she received a little kiss on the cheek.

"Now what did I say about overworking yourself?" Ash whispered into her ear.

"Don't worry honey," Misty rested against his chest, "I'm okay. Besides, I think this is part of my pregnancy mode."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"I think this is the beginning of what they call nesting," Misty explained as she neatly put the necklace back.

"Nesting? What's that?"

"It's when the mother, so me in this case, wants the house to be as perfect as it can be before they give birth."

"But that's not going to be for another four months," Ash twisted his mouth, "providing everything goes as planned."

"I'm already kind of picky," Misty smirked, "so maybe my body is just telling me to get a head start."

"Okay then," Ash gave her another kiss, "just promise me you'll come to bed once you're finished."

"I promise," Misty turned to press her lips against Ash's. As she pulled away, he pressed a finger against her lips, his eyes sparkling.

"Hold on," Ash smiled, "I forgot to tell you something."

"What?" Misty sounded slightly alarmed.

"It's alright," Ash chuckled as he brushed Misty's cheek, "just thought I'd let you know that I came up with a girl's name that I really like."

"A…a girl's name?" Misty asked softly. All Ash had been able to suggest all day was boy's names. She was convinced he hadn't been thinking about what to name their daughter at all. But Ash nodded in response to the question, causing Misty to smile sweetly. "I'd love to hear it, Ashy."

"Kate," Ash answered.

"Kate?" Misty repeated.

"I don't know why I like it so much," Ash shrugged, "it just sounds so sweet. Simple and sweet. Plus it's a cute name. Girls like having cute names, right?"

"Yeah," Misty laughed gently, "they do."

"So, we can consider that one?"

Misty thought for a moment before kissing the tip of Ash's nose. "Yes, we'll consider it."

"Awesome!" Ash jumped up, "thanks Misty. I'm gonna' get ready for bed now."

"Okay," Misty watched him head for the bathroom before turning back to the vanity. She reached into the back of the drawer, retrieving a black velvet box. Blinking, Misty opened the top of the box and grinned broadly at its contents.

Held within the small package was a light blue hairclip, shaped like a sea shell. Misty smiled fondly at the accessory. It was a gift from Ash; when he had first asked Misty if she'd like to be his girlfriend.

The hairclip was very special to Misty, and as she ran her fingers over its smooth surface, she was struck by a jolt of inspiration. Looking back down at the clip, she smiled sweetly before closing the top and putting the box away in a special place.

Somehow, Misty believed she had just found the perfect name for her and Ash's little girl.

* * *

><p><strong>Can you guess what name Misty is thinking of? :P<strong>

**I'd just like to say that so far the reception to this story has been great, and I couldn't be more thankful! I'm really enjoying writing this story, and I'm happy to know you all seem to enjoy reading it. You all rock!**

**So let's keep the positive energy going! Leave a review, critique, whatever you want to say! Now, I'll have to return to reading about math. Woo-hoo. Until next time!**


	9. A Plan is Born

**Hello everyone! New chapter for you all! I couldn't wait to put it up as tomorrow is my last day of school (just to go get grades) AND it's the NHL draft! Which is like a holiday for me.**

**And you'll never guess who shows up in this chapter. Or maybe you will? Let's just say the heart of this story is _really _getting going now...**

* * *

><p>Two weeks after discovering they were expecting both a boy and a girl, Ash and Misty were napping in the sun drenched hammock in the backyard, grateful for the well needed alone time. Every now and then, Ash would give Misty a kiss on the cheek, and she'd reward him with her lips. He kept his hand on her stomach the entire time, occasionally giving it a little pat or rub.<p>

"Hmm," Misty moaned softly, causing Ash to raise his head.

"What's wrong angel?" He asked concernedly.

"My back hurts," she furrowed her brow as she buried her hands underneath her body. Ash snaked his hand towards Misty's and began to massage her back, causing her to groan happily. "That feels good," she sighed.

"I know how to make you feel better," Ash shrugged, giving her another kiss on the cheek.

"What is going on back here?"

Ash shot up quickly, and Misty would have as well if her back wasn't killing her. When he saw Scott staring intensely at the two of them, Ash chuckled nervously and sat up fully.

"Hey Scott!" Ash rubbed the back of his head, one of the young man's various nervous ticks.

"Ash, it's very sweet that you and Misty are being all lovey dovey," Scott winced slightly as he used the overly mushy phrase, "but I need you to get back to work."

"Back to work on what?" Ash scrunched his nose up, causing Misty to giggle lovingly.

"Training, boy. You need to start training with your Pokémon again."

"I know, Scott! And I will. But…"

"Oh!" Misty trilled, a gentle smile appearing on her face. She was gently rocking the hammock back and forth, her cheeks glowing a faint pink.

"What's up Mist?" Ash looked down at the pretty red head.

"They're kicking," Misty murmured fondly. Ash's eyes lit up, and as he reached down to touch her stomach, he stopped to think for a second. Nodding just once, he stood back up to his full height and marched over to Scott, grinning deviously at his manager.

"You've got that sneaky look on your face," Scott lowered his sunglasses to make his suspicious eyes clearly visible to the young master, "what in the world is going through your mind?"

"You'll see!" Ash chuckled as he grabbed Scott's wrist and dragged him closer to Misty. Her eyes were shut blissfully now, and she was still slowly rocking back and forth. Ash gently pressed Scott's hand against the bulge, and waited for a reaction from the manager.

"Hmm, Ash…" Misty sighed contentedly, laying a hand on top of Scott's.

_Oops, _Ash blushed slightly, _she thinks it's me._

One of the babies finally decided to jab at Misty again, and this time Scott felt it. His eyes grew wide and his sunglasses slipped completely off his face. Ash, meanwhile, snickered at the reaction.

"That's…strange…" Scott mumbled. Misty opened one eye and lowered it to her stomach. Finally realizing it was Scott's hand on her, and not Ash's, she shrieked softly and pulled away, nearly falling off the hammock in the process.

"Misty, chill out!" Ash's eyes looked like they were about to jump out of his head, "you're gonna' hurt the babies!"

"I thought _you _were the one touching my belly!" Misty stormed, her dark green eyes clouding over.

"Sorry," Ash folded his arms, "but why's it such a big deal if it's not me that's touching you?"

"Because…" Misty tried to answer, but her voice trailed off very quickly. Ash raised a curious eyebrow, but didn't have any time to ask a question.

"Ash, come on," Scott retrieved his sunglasses, although he was still looking down at Misty, clearly impressed by what was going on within her.

"Misty, I've got to go train," Ash's voice was soft, "I'll see you later, okay sweetheart?"

"Okay," Misty answered quietly, a heavy blush still resonating on her fair cheeks.

**XXX**

"My goodness," Jessie blinked just once as she drew herself back into the thick bushes surrounding the Pallet Town home.

"I had no idea the twerpette was with child!" James was wide eyed.

"So dis means dere's gonna''' be a baby twerp runnin' around!" Meowth added.

"How did we not know about this before?" Jessie twisted her mouth in deep thought as she folded her arms.

"I think, although I might not be fully correct," James suggested, "that they are trying to keep it a secret."

"Why would dey do dat?" Meowth raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure," James shrugged, "perhaps they're afraid of something."

"Like what, Jimmy boy?"

"No, James is right," Jessie piped up in a hushed tone. James and Meowth leaned in to look at her, taking notice of the thoughtful expression that had overtaken the face of their female counterpart.

"What's up Jess?" James asked curiously.

"Think about it," Jessie finally responded after a few more moments of thought, "the twerp is the Pokémon master. The twerpette is an accomplished gym leader."

"Yeah, so what's your point?" Meowth inquired.

"I'm getting to it!" Jessie snapped. Meowth recoiled slightly, and James did as well, although he wasn't the current victim of Jessie's outburst. After composing herself, Jessie continued, "that baby twerp is going to have more talent in its pinky finger than most people have in their entire bodies!"

"You think so?" James sounded highly intrigued.

"I know so," Jessie narrowed her eyes.

"Sounds like you've got a plan or somethin'," Mewoth noted.

"Oh, I do," Jessie smirked evilly.

"Jess, we're not going to hurt the twerps' baby, are we?" James was completely horrified by the idea.

"No, even _I'm _above abusing innocent little babies," Jessie rolled her eyes, "but wouldn't that just make a lovely gift for the boss?"

"A baby?" Meowth tilted his head.

"Not _just_ a baby," Jessie wagged a finger at the feline Pokémon, "a highly prodigious baby along with a super strong Pikachu!"

"Are we gonna' tell da boss, or are we gonna' surprise him?" Meowth asked excitedly.

"Surprise him, of course," Jessie sounded almost offended by the question, "if he finds out about this, he'll act as if it was all his idea and he'll get other members of the organization involved."

"Not to mention, Giovanni isn't always above violence," James mentioned sheepishly.

"Right, so no talking," Jessie threatened, "we're doing this on our own."

**XXX**

Misty groaned and rubbed her back as she walked slowly down the stairs. Halfway down, she caught sight of Delia sitting on the couch, busily working on something while Mimey dusted the furniture. As Misty continued down the stairs cautiously, a semi loud creak escaped from the old wooden steps, causing her heart to skip a beat. Both Delia and Mimey turned their attention towards the staircase, the sudden noise disrupting both of their work.

"I'm sorry!" Misty cried, immediately feeling guilty for disturbing the both of them.

"Oh, don't apologize dear!" Delia grinned lovingly, "Those old stairs always make a ruckus! It's how I used to catch Ash sneaking downstairs for a midnight snack when he was a little boy."

Misty smiled fondly as she imagined the very young version of her husband attempting to trick his mother, only to be foiled by a set of faulty steps. She couldn't help but to wonder if that's what their son would look like, and if he would attempt the same things. As Misty tried to picture the scene, both of the babies kicked her at the same time. It was just once, and it was as strong as could be. Misty grunted sharply and held her stomach, causing Delia to leap up and Mimey to become alarmed.

"Misty, are you okay?" Delia gasped.

"Y…yeah, I'm fine," Misty breathed out and stood up straight, "the babies each just got a _really _good jab in."

"You poor thing," Delia frowned, "why don't you come sit next to me on the couch and relax for a while?"

"That sounds really good," Misty smiled gratefully, "thank you."

Sitting down next to her mother in law, Misty couldn't help but to slump, feeling too weak to even sit up straight. Delia, meanwhile, had returned to what Misty now saw as her sewing, and Mimey back to his dusting.

"Are you doing alright Misty?" Delia asked as she worked.

"I guess so," Misty showed off a weak smile, "I've just been _really _sore, and _really _tired. Bored too. Ash won't let me leave the house."

"Why ever not?" Delia gasped slightly, giving Misty a look of shock.

"He still doesn't want people to know I'm pregnant," Misty frowned, "I can't believe it's been five and a half months and the press hasn't even gotten suspicious. They've been spreading rumors about Ash and I having children ever since we got engaged, and now that I actually _am _pregnant, no one is questioning it."

"Ash is being absolutely ridiculous," Delia grumbled as she put her work down again. Smiling suddenly, she turned back to Misty and asked, "Why don't you and I go out for awhile?"

There was a moment of silence before Misty chuckled gently and responded, "I really don't think I can. Ash will get so upset with me."

"Misty, since when have you pined for Ash's approval?" Delia inquired with a little smirk.

"When I first wanted to date him," Misty raised a wry eyebrow.

"I suppose so. But other than that, you're a very independent woman. I know for a fact that you don't like other people telling you what to do. Especially when it comes to Ash."

"You're right," Misty giggled softly, "but I'm trying not to be selfish. I know how much he wants to protect me and the babies. That's why I'm following his orders."

"We're not going to do anything crazy," Delia shook her head, "what kind of trouble can we get into if we go out to lunch?"

"Well…that's true," Misty thought quietly for a moment before a wide smile appeared on her face, "alright, I'm with you. Let's go out!"

**XXX**

As Ash was busy training that afternoon, giving a little pep talk to Torkoal and Donphan, he was interrupted by Scott racing towards the group, his cheeks bright red from all the running he'd just done.

"Scott, what's up?" Ash raised a curious eyebrow.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked.

"They…they know," Scott panted, bending down to try and catch his breath.

"Huh?" Ash blinked, "who knows what?"

"The…the media. They…they know Misty is…pregnant."

"WHAT?" Ash stormed, frightening his three Pokémon. "How did they figure it out?"

Scott took in a deep breath and stood up straight, having refilled his lungs with a sufficient amount of oxygen. "Apparently, your mother and Misty went out for lunch today," Scott responded, "and the paparazzi got some nice shots of them."

"You've gotta' be kidding me," Ash seethed quietly, his eyes closing tightly.

"I wish I was," Scott sighed, shaking his head.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu frowned as he looked at Ash.

"I don't know what I'm gonna' do Pikachu," Ash sighed tiredly, "but what I do know is Misty's in _a lot_ of trouble."

**XXX**

Later that night, Misty was helping Delia to prepare dinner. Ever since the two had gone out to lunch that day, Misty was feeling a lot better; both physically and mentally. The fact that she was no longer hiding a secret from the entire world made her feel much happier, and that in turn was making her feel better overall.

"MOM! MISTY!"

That was until Ash walked through the door.

"We're in so much trouble," Misty whispered frantically to Delia. The brunette, in turn, simply smiled at her daughter in law.

"Not to worry, Misty. We'll be just fine!"

Ash came marching into the kitchen, his auburn eyes burning like fire. Pikachu was frowning from his trainer's shoulder, and upon seeing Misty's terrified face, jumped off of his perch in order to scurry up to the water type trainer.

"Pikachupi…" Pikachu murmured as he climbed up Misty's long, slender legs.

"Ash…" Misty began as she hugged Pikachu tightly.

"No," Ash seethed, holding his hand up to silence Misty. It worked instantly, and after taking a few seconds to recollect his thoughts, Ash continued, "what in the world did you think you were doing this afternoon?"

"Just going out to eat," Misty murmured.

"Yeah, and at the same time revealing our big secret!" Ash retorted sardonically, "no big deal, right?"

"Hey!" Misty snapped, her patience suddenly worn thin, "I don't need to stand here and listen to you lecture me like I'm some kind of little kid! Last time I checked, I'm pretty sure that I'm in charge of my own life thank you very much!"

"It was your idea to keep this a secret in the first place!" Ash roared.

"Well I changed my mind!" Misty bit back, "that's allowed, you know!"

"Well it would've be nice for you to tell me you were gonna' blow all of our hard work _before _you did it, don't you think?"

Delia's light brown eyes darted quickly between her son and daughter in law. She had seen the two argue before, of course, but this was not a playful disagreement. Ash was actually _angry_ with the red head. In this case, Delia wasn't sure of how to react.

"_Our_ hard work?" Misty sounded offended, "excuse me, but I don't see _you _carrying around two babies!"

"You're acting like I don't appreciate that," Ash narrowed his eyes in scrutiny.

"I question if you do sometimes!"

"Well that's _stupid!_" Ash commented acidly.

"Is it?" Misty gasped in an exaggerated fashion. Pikachu's ears twitched as he leapt out of Misty's arms to cower behind the couch. "I wouldn't have known, considering you seem to be ashamed of me!"

"Where are you getting these ideas from?" Ash demanded.

"This isn't some conspiracy theory Ash," Misty rolled her eyes, "I've pretty much been stuck in this house for the past four months of my life with nothing to do. And you know how bored I've been, and how useless I feel, and you've done nothing about it!"

"Because I want to protect you!" Ash cried.

"Well you're doing a lousy job of that, now aren't you?" Misty turned on a heel and stomped out the back door, slamming it as she stepped outside.

"What's her problem?" Ash huffed quietly. At that, Delia narrowed her eyes and gave Ash a harsh glare. "What?"

"Misty is right Ash," Delia folded her arms, "you've been completely unfair."

"What? How's that?"

"You've been treating her like a prisoner," Delia looked almost mournful, "not like the mother of your children. I mean, not letting her leave the house? That isn't fair, Ash."

"But Mom," Ash's voice wavered, "you don't understand."

"Then explain it to me," Delia demanded patiently.

"I…I'm so afraid of being a bad dad," Ash shook his head tearfully, "you know Mom, you raised me by yourself. I didn't have a father. No one to look up to or model myself after. What if I'm awful, Mom? I don't want them to hate me. I just want to start off the right way, and I never want anything to hurt them. They haven't even been born yet, so why would I risk anything now?"

"That does make it more understandable," Delia replied softly after a moment, "Misty might even appreciate your reason. But you need to explain it to her, dear."

"But she's so mad at me now," Ash looked away sheepishly. Pikachu cooed sadly and walked over to Ash's feet, nuzzling up against his trainer's ankles.

"Give her some time alone," Delia recommended, "I'm sure she'll calm down. Her hormones are a mess right now, so it may take a little longer, but just be patient."

**XXX**

Outside, Misty sat on the hammock, her arms folded as she pouted silently to herself. The babies began to kick, as if reminding Misty of their presence. Frowning sympathetically, Misty touched her stomach and tried to soothe the displeased children. After a few moments, the cell phone stashed in her pocket began to ring. Raising an eyebrow, Misty retrieved the device and put it to her ear.

"Hello?" She inquired.

"_Misty,"_ the voice on the other end was quite stern, although not completely livid. Upon hearing it, Misty's heart skipped a beat.

"Uh…oh. Hello Mr. Goodshow," she shivered slightly.

"_I saw the big news of today,"_ Goodshow Jr. continued.

"Oh, you did?" Misty could feel the color draining from her face.

"_Indeed I did. And I'll need to see you about it tomorrow."_

"Sir, I can explain…"

"_Tomorrow Misty,"_ Goodshow Jr. interrupted firmly.

"Right," Misty bit her lip, "tomorrow." Lifting the phone away, Misty flipped it closed and held the object tightly in her hand. Standing up, Misty looked over her shoulder at Delia's house and breathed out deeply. This day had just gotten worse, and although it wasn't all Ash's fault, Misty couldn't stand the thought of facing him at the moment. She had to get out of here, if only for a little while. Looking back down at her phone, Misty opened it back up and began to dial a number.

**XXX**

"I want it!"

The man and woman standing before their boss jumped as he bashed his fist against the desk which he sat at, anger immediately flashing through his narrowed eyes.

"We understand that sir," the smaller man replied in a shaky voice, "and we'll do all we can to get it for you."

"I don't think you understand how serious this whole thing is," the larger man pressed his hands together, "that child will be the future of this whole organization. There is _no _room for failure!"

"We'll complete the mission sir," the woman answered more silkily than her male counterpart, "you have no reason to doubt us."

"I'd better not," he turned his chair around, signaling that he was done with the two. They looked at one another and hurried out of the boss's office, pressing themselves against the wall outside of the room.

"Can you believe the boss put us on such an important assignment?" The male of the duo exclaimed in a husky voice.

"Of course I can Butch," the woman retorted coolly, "we're two of the best operatives in the whole place."

"Cassidy," Butch continued questioningly, "when the boss told us we needed to do anything in our power to get our hands on the kid…"

"He meant _anything,_" Cassidy planted her hands on her hips, "and we're going to follow his orders."

"Of course!" Butch grinned deviously, raising himself off the wall as he followed after his blonde partner.

"The boss has every right to trust us," Cassidy snickered, "we'll take the Pokémon master's child so fast he won't even remember he was _having _one."

* * *

><p><strong>Ahh Team Rocket. Yes, we're going there ladies and gentlemen! And don't forget, Misty isn't too happy with Ash at this point. Wonder what will happen next...<strong>

**You can find out...sometime next week! Until then, leave a review! The ones I've gotten so far have been awesome! I appreciate all you guys, so thanks alot!**


	10. The First Strike

**Hello everyone! Well, I'm now officially on summer break, and it is fabulous. I love being able to just relax!**

**Anyway, we're going to find out just where Misty went in this chapter. It also reveals one of my other favorite pairings! Can you tell which one it is? ;)**

* * *

><p>"Come on Misty, I'm sure Ash doesn't hate you."<p>

"Yes he does!" Misty wailed, her cheeks streaked with tears. As she buried her face in her hands and convulsed with sobs, Tracey froze, unsure of what to do. He figured it would be fun to try and catch up with the water type gym leader, but her moods were completely out of whack. He had hardly been able to get a word in edge wise.

"Uh…" Tracey stammered, "Well…"

"Alright Tracey, that's enough," Daisy walked into the room, the couple's four year old daughter bouncing at her heels, "I'll take it from here."

"Thanks Dais," Tracey grinned appreciatively, giving Misty one last sympathetic glance. Patting her on the shoulder, he murmured, "It'll be alright Misty. Really."

"Gary called before," Daisy informed her husband as he stood up, "I don't know what he wanted, though. You should call him back."

"I will," Tracey nodded before holding his hand out, "come on Dakota. Let's leave Aunt Misty and Mommy alone for awhile."

"No," the little girl shook her head, golden curls flying out around her, "I'm gonna' help, Daddy. Mommy said I could."

"Daisy?" Tracey looked up at the older blonde.

"She's not lying," Daisy assured, "Misty loves Dakota. I'm sure if anyone can cheer her up, it's our little girl."

"Well, you're much better at these things than I am," Tracey shrugged as he walked out of the room, "so I trust you."

"As you should," Daisy squared her shoulders proudly.

"Hi Aunt Misty," Dakota greeted sweetly as she sat down next to the red head, "please don't cry."

"I'm sorry Dakota," Misty sniffed as she rubbed her eyes, "I'll try to stop."

"Why're you sad?" Dakota tilted her head.

"You're not helping doll face," Daisy chastised the girl softly. Dakota looked up curiously at her mother, who in turn sat down in front of Misty. "Look at me, baby sister."

"Don't call me that," Misty grumbled as she wiped more furiously at her eyes.

"Sorry," Daisy cleared her throat before rectifying her mistake, "look at me Misty."

Misty complied this time and glanced at her eldest sister, who smiled back kindly at the younger woman.

"What?" Misty asked in a dark voice.

"You know Ash doesn't hate you," Daisy kept her tiny grin on as she made her statement.

"Yes I…"

"Misty."

"Fine," Misty sighed, "I know he doesn't."

"So why'd you run off?"

"I didn't run off," Misty looked away, acting offended by the question. "I have a meeting with Goodshow tomorrow, and the league headquarters are closer to your house than Delia's."

"That's only part of the reason you came here," Daisy shook her head, "I'm not clueless, although you like to think I am."

"I do not," Misty narrowed her eyes.

"Yes you do."

"Fine. Maybe sometimes. Not as much now that we're older, though."

Daisy chuckled at that. "See? I know what I'm doing here. So, why are so adamant over saying that Ash hates you, when you know that isn't the case?"

"I…I don't know really," Misty looked down at her hands, which she kept in her folded lap. Dakota placed one of her small hands over Misty's and patted them gently, earning a little smile from the red head.

"I know why," a smug look overtook Daisy's face, "it's because of your hormones."

"Why does everyone love making comments about my mood swings?" Misty rolled her eyes.

"Because it's the truth," Daisy flicked her eyes away teasingly.

"I think Aunt Misty is very nice," Dakota commented.

"You're very sweet Dakota," Misty brushed through the girl's curly locks, "thank you."

"You are going to go back home to Ash, aren't you?" Daisy asked, a hint of worry laced in her tone.

"Of course I am," Misty grew a little wide eyed at the inquiry, "I don't want to scare him to death. You…you _are_ right Daisy. I know that Ash cares about me. I'm not looking to get revenge on him or anything like that. As soon as my meeting with Goodshow is over tomorrow, I'll go back to Pallet Town."

"And Ash still doesn't know you're here?" Daisy rested her head on her knees, which she had brought up to her chest.

"No," Misty looked guilty at the realization.

"Maybe you should call him," Daisy suggested.

"I'd prefer not to," Misty sighed, "he was pretty angry before. I just want to give him time to cool down is all."

"I bet Uncle Ash will understand," Dakota pressed her cheek against Misty's stomach, "he's nice."

"I think you're right Dakota," Misty beamed, "thanks for cheering me up, you two."

"No problem," Daisy shrugged. Being the oldest of four girls, Daisy really knew how to deal with situations like this.

"Aunt Misty," Dakota looked up at her aunt, "did you name the babies yet?"

"No sweetheart," Misty replied, "Uncle Ash and I haven't come up with any good names yet."

"You should name the girl Dakota!" The little girl shrieked excitedly, clapping her hands as she jumped away from Misty.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Misty giggled, "that's your name sweetheart! It's unique and just for you. You shouldn't have to share it with your cousin."

"I guess so," Dakota scrunched her nose as she tried to think up some other names. Daisy laughed at her daughter's act, and Misty smiled at her niece's determination. The now familiar movements started up in her stomach again, causing Misty to raise her eyebrows. Daisy glanced at Misty and quickly became confused.

"What's up Misty?"

"They woke up," Misty touched her midsection, "they've been asleep for awhile now."

"Dakota, I think all the noise you're making is what woke them up," Daisy folded her arms playfully. Dakota missed her mother's teasing tone, however.

"Nuh uh!" Dakota shook her head, "I didn't wake them up!"

"Your Mommy is just teasing you sweetheart," Misty giggled lovingly, "do you want to feel, Dakota?" The young girl nodded excitedly and pressed her little hands against Misty's stomach, gasping softly at the movements coming from within her aunt.

"Does that hurt?" Dakota asked in awe.

"Not too much, no," Misty shook her head, "only a little bit when they're fighting."

"They fight?" Dakota grew wide eyed.

"Sometimes!"

"How come?"

"Well they're brother and sister," Misty explained, "so that's pretty much the only reason why. They just like to start things up."

"You and Ash are going to have your hands full," Daisy laughed heartily.

"Oh," Misty sighed playfully, "you have _no_ idea."

**XXX**

"Pikachu, did you find anything?"

"Pika," Pikachu raised his nose from the ground and shook his head sadly.

"Damnit," Ash cursed under his breath, "where could she have gone?"

"Ash?" Delia called out worriedly, suddenly appearing several feet away from her son, "have you figured out where Misty's gone yet?"

"No," Ash frowned deeply, "and I'm really worried."

"I'm sure she's fine," Delia tried to smile, but to no avail. "Misty is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She probably just wanted some time alone."

"She probably thinks I hate her," Ash closed his eyes tightly, "and I don't. Not at all. I'm such an idiot."

"Oh Ash, Misty knows you love her," Delia shook her head, "but you know she's very fragile right now. That little shouting match probably just shook her a bit. Give her the peace and quiet she clearly wants for a little bit. When she's ready, she'll come back to the house."

"How do you know?" Ash asked hoarsely.

"She's a woman Ash," Delia smiled knowingly, "believe me when I say I know what I'm talking about."

"If you insist," Ash breathed, pulling at his dark hair.

"I do," Delia stroked his cheek, "come on now. If she's not back by the morning, we'll really begin to look for her. I promise we'll do anything to find her, but I don't think it'll get that bad."

Ash wanted so badly to believe his mother, but he just couldn't shake off the doubt that clouded his mind. Something in his heart was telling him that this whole situation was going to go from bad to worse.

**XXX**

The next morning, Misty found herself sitting across from Goodshow Jr. Her eyes were locked on him, but he instead was staring at her fairly impressive bump. Considering she was now at about five and a half months along, it was blatantly obvious that she was pregnant.

"How did you manage to keep this a secret for so long?" Goodshow almost sounded impressed.

"My husband kept me in the house," Misty deadpanned. Oh, how she wished she had been kidding.

"And why would you go out of your way to keep this a secret?" Goodshow finally looked Misty in the eye.

"Uh…it was Ash's idea," Misty shrugged. She didn't want anybody's sympathy, nor did she want to be pitied. Telling people she was in a dangerous position would only lead to that.

"Very well," Goodshow leaned back in his chair. "But the real question here is why would you not even tell me?"

"Sir, I can…"

"I know you called several months ago to inform me that your sisters would temporarily be running the gym once again," Goodshow interrupted, "and I wondered why you hadn't gone into details."

"I told you it was for personal reasons," Misty shrugged. She felt that the whole connotation of this meeting was completely pointless.

"Are you okay?" Goodshow asked curiously.

"Fine," Misty shook her head. "You don't need to worry, sir. I'll be back to running the gym after I have the babies."

"Bab_ies_?" Goodshow raised an eyebrow, and Misty slapped a hand over her mouth. As far as the public was concerned, she was only expecting one child.

"Oh no," Misty rested her head against Goodshow's desk, "I didn't mean to…no one can…"

"I won't tell a soul," Goodshow assured the flustered red head.

"Thank you," Misty sighed, brushing some of her ginger locks back.

"So, you _do_ intend on returning to your position as gym leader?" Goodshow asked.

"Of course," Misty nodded.

"Alright then," Goodshow gave her a little smile, "I'm sorry for dragging you all the way out here. I just didn't understand what was going on."

"It's alright," Misty returned the grin, "I shouldn't have kept this a secret from you."

After bidding farewell to Goodshow Jr., Misty left the league office, feeling as though the weight of the world was off her shoulders. Not long into her walk, however, the sound of rustling in the trees caused Misty to grow nervous.

"It's probably nothing," Misty shook her head, "just some stupid bug Pokémon. That's all."

She kept on walking, her hand lingering by her waist. Misty knew she was probably just being paranoid, but the idea of having her Pokémon close by certainly made her feel a little better. The rustling only increased, however, and suddenly out of nowhere, two shady figures jumped in front of Misty, causing her to gasp and press a protective hand against her belly.

"Hello there," the blonde woman greeted, a devious grin appearing on her face.

"Wait a minute," Misty narrowed her eyes, "I remember you two! Cassidy and…and Botch!"

"The name is Butch!" The husky voice man raged.

"Whatever," Misty huffed, "you two thieves are part of Team Rocket!"

"A brilliant deduction," Cassidy drawled sarcastically.

"What are you doing here?" Misty demanded, retrieving a poke ball from her waist and expanding it to its full size.

"Don't bother trying to fight us little girl," Butch smirked.

"I'm not a little girl!" Misty bellowed.

"_Clearly_," Cassidy planted her hands on her hips, "just look at that belly of yours."

"Hey!" Misty self consciously wrapped her arms around her stomach, "don't call me fat!"

"No one called you fat," Butch scoffed.

"No, she _implied_ it," Misty pointed an accusatory finger at Cassidy, "I can't help it that this is what happens when you're…pregnant. But still…I am _not _fat!"

"Of course you're not dear," Cassidy purred, "you're helping the future of our organization to grow."

"What?" Misty raised a wry eyebrow, "what do you mean the future of your organization?"

Cassidy didn't offer an explanation. Instead, she let out an evil little laugh and withdrew a poke ball, pressing the button with a single finger. "Come on out Drowzee."

The hypnosis Pokémon appeared before the blonde, his tired eyes setting themselves on Misty like she was a prize.

"Oh no you don't!" Misty shook her head quickly and tossed her own poke ball, "help me Starmie!"

The purple star shaped Pokémon materialized in front of Misty and glared at Drowzee with its large red jewel. Misty typically left Starmie at the gym, as it was a very capable battle partner, but in her current state, she wanted to have her strongest Pokémon on hand at all times just in case she needed protection.

"Starmie, use water gun!" Misty commanded. The water type shot a stream of water out of its top spear, but Drowzee was somehow able to move out the way. "What?" Misty gasped, "Drowzee aren't supposed to be that fast!"

"Well my Drowzee isn't normal," Cassidy's voice sounded very mischievous, "Drowzee, use hypnosis on our little red headed friend!"

Drowzee formed a sign with his hands and began to rock them back and forth. Before Starmie could get in the way, Misty's body started to glow a faint shade of blue, and she quickly fell unconscious and began to stagger backwards.

"Grab her Butch," Cassidy ordered gruffly. The blue haired man raced forward and caught Misty in his arms, nearly stumbling in the process.

"Ugh…she's kinda' heavy…" Butch grunted.

"Because she's pregnant, genius," Cassidy rolled her eyes, "now pick her up and let's go."

"Go where?" Butch huffed as he lifted Misty up bridal style.

"Back to headquarters, of course. We're going to make sure she stays nice and sleepy until the boss gets to see her."

**XXX**

"This is insane…this is so crazy…" Ash mumbled miserably to himself. When he had woken up that morning without Misty by his side, a pain began to plague his heart that hadn't gone away since. He was terrified for her; he had no idea where she was or what she was even doing. "Pikachu, please tell me you've found _something_."

"Pika," Pikachu raised his nose from the ground and shook his head slowly and sadly.

"What about you Staraptor?" Ash looked up. The large bird Pokémon flew back to his trainer and gave him the negative answer.

"Pikapi…" Pikachu frowned, nuzzling against Ash's legs.

"Something has to be wrong," Ash clenched his fists, "Misty would've come back by now. Something happened…"

Just then, his cell phone began to ring. Ash quickly pulled the black device out of his pocket, silently praying that it was Misty. Instead, the caller I.D. read Daisy, causing Ash's heart to sink.

"Hello?" Ash answered miserably.

"_Ash!"_ Daisy cried.

"What's wrong?" Ash raised his eyebrows. Daisy really sounded like she was freaking out.

"_Has Misty come home yet?"_ Daisy asked hurriedly.

"No, I haven't seen her since yesterday," Ash's heart began to pound so hard he could hear it in his head, "have you?"

"_Yeah. You see, Goodshow Jr. wanted to have a meeting with her. I think because she didn't tell him she was pregnant."_

"Oh crap," a pang of guilt hit Ash in the middle of his stomach. What if he had caused Misty to lose her job? "What did he say? Do you…"

"_I don't know!"_ Daisy interrupted frantically, "_because she left for the meeting this morning, and she told me she'd come back here afterwards to call you. But…she should've been back by now, and she's not."_

"She's not here," Ash was almost breathless. He felt like he had just been punched square in the chest. Where was his Misty?

"_Ash,"_ Daisy practically whispered, _"where do you think she is?"_

"I don't know," Ash shivered, "but I've got to find her."

"_Daisy!"_ Ash could hear someone calling her name in the background of the call. _"Marill picked up on something!"_

"Is that Tracey?" Ash's eyes flicked back and forth.

"_Yes,"_ Daisy answered quickly before addressing her husband, _"talk to Ash, Tracey. Tell him. I'll listen from over here."_

Ash could hear the phone being handed over, and once the noise settled, he cautiously asked, "Tracey?"

"_Ash!"_ Tracey gasped slightly, _"Marill picked up Misty's scent somewhere around here. And she also smelt something else as well."_

"What else did she smell?" Ash's voice trembled.

"_She caught the smell of two other people and some Pokémon as well,"_ Tracey replied darkly, _"If I had to guess, it was Team Rocket."_

"T…Team Rocket?" Ash stammered. Pikachu jumped at the words, and Ash could hear Daisy breath out deeply. "So you think they…?"

"_I think they took her Ash,"_ Tracey sounded hoarse as he revealed his realization.

Ash growled lowly and ground his teeth together. That band of thieves _really_ had some nerve. If there was one thing Ash knew, it was that they weren't going to get away with kidnapping his wife.

"I'll meet you," Ash's voice was wracked with anger, "and we'll follow the scent. Pikachu can help."

"_Okay,"_ Tracey responded, _"hurry!"_

Ash shut the phone and called Staraptor down. Climbing atop the bird Pokémon, he told the flying type where to go, and to hurry. While up in the air, Ash scowled the entire time, fury rushing through his veins as quickly as his blood.

"I'm going to find you Misty," Ash grumbled to himself, "they're going to pay for taking you, angel. They _will_."

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, so please no one hating me for taking this route! XD It may have been a little obvious (I don't know) but well...it's Team Rocket we're talking about here. They're not very bright.<strong>

**So what will happen to Misty? Will Ash be able to find her? Will I be able to recover after failing my math final?**

**All these questions (except for the last one) will be revealed next chapter. Until then, feel free to leave a review because they're awesome ! And I also really appreciate them. So thank you for all of the suppourt so far, and see you next time!**


	11. Righting the Wrong

**Hello everyone! So, now that I think about it, this chapter is kind of late! It should've been up yesterday. But I got a little busy and forgot. Oh well, better a _little _late than never, eh?**

**So, back to the story. Will Ash save Misty? Read and find out...**

* * *

><p>"How's our little patient doing?" Cassidy strode into the small room of the hidden cabin where she and Butch had taken refuge.<p>

The blue haired man was standing by a bed where Misty laid, still knocked out from the hypnosis attack. They had tied her arms and legs to the posts so she wouldn't try to escape when she woke up, and Starmie had been locked in a small metal cage, which it was currently smashing against to try and break free.

"She's not showing any signs of waking up," Butch folded his arms, "are you sure the hypnosis attack was such a good idea?"

"The boss said to do _anything _to get her," Cassidy huffed, "and she's a flighty little thing. The only way we were going to get her down was by putting her out. But we can't hurt the little baby, now can we?"

"And you're _sure_ that attack didn't hurt the baby?" Butch raised an eyebrow.

"You're so naïve," Cassidy punched his upper arm. As he tried to rub the pain away, Cassidy walked over to Misty and pressed a hand against her stomach. After a moment, a smile etched its way onto Cassidy's face, and she looked over her shoulder at Butch. "It's kicking. Which means its fine."

"It moves around in there?" Butch shivered at the thought.

"Hmm, men," Cassidy rolled her eyes, "yes, it does."

Burch cautiously moved closer to Misty, eyeing her rounded belly with obvious trepidation. After some hesitation, he reached out and touched the bump. After feeling a kick, Butch quickly withdrew his hand, but it didn't take long for him to put it back. The movements had softened now at his touch, and he blinked in deep thought.

"Cassidy," Butch piped up quietly, "it feels weird."

"That's pregnancy for you," Cassidy uncaringly examined her fingernails, "not like I would know, though."

"That isn't what I mean," Butch shook his head.

"Then what _do_ you mean?"

"It's just…there's a _lot _going on in there," Butch glanced at Misty's belly once again, "it almost feels like there's more than one kid in there."

"I guess it's possible," Cassidy mused, "but the boss said there was only one."

Butch now pressed both of his hands against Misty's swollen midsection. It was about the size of a small watermelon, Butch noted, and now and then it shifted slightly from side to side.

"Alright Butch, step away from the hostage," Cassidy sighed, "we have work to do."

"What now?" Butch flicked a strand of hair out of his eyes, "we got the target."

"Yes, we did," Cassidy walked into the next room, "but we can't take her to the boss just yet. First we'll need to call him and alert him that we've got her. After that, we can begin to mobilize."

Butch took one last look at Misty before following his female equivalent out of the room. Although he couldn't get rid of the nagging guilt, Butch knew deep in his heart that he and Cassidy were doing the right thing. For the organization, of course.

**XXX**

"This is where Marill picked up on the scent," Tracey showed Ash the spot on the path. Ash glowered at the dirt and turned to Misty, his eyes dull with anger.

"Pikachu, pick up the scent," Ash ordered.

"Pika," Pikachu nodded. He sniffed the ground intently, his eyes closed as he concentrated as hard as he could on memorizing the scent. After a few moments, Pikachu's head snapped up and his eyes opened.

"Did you find Misty's scent?" Ash asked.

"Pi," Pikachu nodded his head yet again.

"Can you lead us to her buddy?"

"Pika," Pikachu set off down the path, his nose staying close to the ground as he ran. Marill sniffed beside him as Ash and Tracey followed quickly after their Pokémon.

It took a few minutes, but Pikachu and Marill eventually stopped in front of a small wooden cabin, their eyes narrowing at the building.

"Is this where Misty is?" Ash asked the two Pokémon. They both turned around and gave a single nod. Ash tightened his hands into fists and approached the small house, but Tracey grabbed his wrist before he could get any further. "Tracey, let me go! I need to save Misty!"

"You can't just barge in there Ash," Tracey appealed to the Pokémon master, "they'll attack you."

"Those idiots can't beat me," Ash shook his head, "they're a bunch of weak cowards who hide behind their dumb criminal acts. It'd be stupid for them to try and take on the master of all people, especially after they kidnapped my wife!"

"Maybe so," Tracey continued, "but if they see you, then they might cause harm to Misty. And we don't want that."

"You're right," Ash finally relented as he pulled back his arm.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu suddenly called out. Ash and Tracey looked at the electric type, who was now perched on one of the cabin's window sills.

"What is it Pikachu?" Ash blinked.

"Pikachupi," Pikachu replied quietly, pointing at the window.

"Misty?" Ash breathed. He hurried over to the window and peered into the glass. The room he was looking at was small and rather bare. In the corner, however, Ash caught sight of a bed, where Misty was seemingly asleep and tied up. "There she is!" Ash gasped, turning to glance at Tracey.

"She's in there?" Tracey moved closer to Ash.

"Yeah," Ash bit his lip, "they tied her up. And I don't think she's awake."

"Is she unconscious or just asleep?" Tracey sounded rather worried.

"I'm not sure," Ash sighed deeply. Looking down for a moment, he moved his eyes back to Tracey and stated boldly, "I have to go in there."

"But how?" Tracey scratched his head, "Team Rocket can't know you're in there."

"I know," Ash folded his arms. Thinking over it for a minute, he concluded, "The best thing for me to do is to sneak into that room somehow, grab Misty, and get out as quickly as possible."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Tracey tried.

"Through the window," Ash answered slowly as he turned his attention back to the windowpane.

"But how?" Tracey repeated.

"I've got an idea," Ash smiled as he reached for his belt. Removing a poke ball, he pressed the center button on the sphere in order to release Quilava. "Quilava," Ash addressed the fire type, "you have to use flamethrower on that window. Try to be as discreet as possible, okay?"

"Quil," Quilava nodded as he blew out a heavy stream of flames, melting a massive hole into the window so that very little glass remained in the frame.

"Great job Quilava!" Ash complimented. After returning Quilava to his poke ball, Ash approached the opening and glanced over his shoulder. "Tracey, you keep an eye out for any members of Team Rocket, okay?"

"Uh…sure," Tracey breathed out heavily, "just be careful, alright?"

"Okay," Ash nodded, although he couldn't make any promises to the Pokémon watcher. Pikachu jumped in through the glassless window, and Ash followed after him, slowly and carefully worming his way into the small room of the cabin. After landing feet first on the wooden floor, Ash slowly rose to his full height and laid his eyes on Misty.

She didn't look to be on the verge of waking up anytime soon, and despite her unconscious state, Misty still looked like a beautiful porcelain doll. Ash drew nearer to Misty, kneeling by her side to softly stroke her cheek. She still didn't budge, and Ash figured he should get to work on untying the poor red head.

As he moved over to the left back post of the bed and began to tug on the rope, Ash noticed Misty's fingers beginning to move. It was slowly at first, and before long, they stretched out as though that would break her free. Her eyes opened and, in seeing she was in an entirely different place, Misty nearly let out an ear splitting scream. Having noticed her stirring, however, Ash was able to cover her mouth with his hand before Misty could make a single noise.

She whined behind his palm and began to struggle, trying desperately to get her arms and legs out of their bound state.

"Hush angel!"

Misty grew wide eyed and looked up slowly, eventually locking eyes with her worried husband. Realizing she had calmed down, Ash removed his hand from Misty's face and continued staring at her with matchless adoration.

"A…Ash?" Misty whispered, her voice still weak from just having woken up.

"You had me so worried," Ash replied softly, his eyes filling with tears, "why did you run off like that?"

"Because I thought you hated me," Misty replied miserably, "that was stupid, I know. I'm sorry."

"No, _I'm_ sorry," Ash shook his head, "this whole thing is my fault. If I hadn't kept you under lock and key, or yelled at you for trying to get the freedom I so wrongly denied you of, then you wouldn't be in this awful mess."

"It's okay," Misty tried to convince her distressed husband, "really, it's alright. We can share the blame."

"I can't believe anyone would do this to you," Ash clenched his teeth, "please tell me the babies are okay."

"They're fine," Misty comforted him, "they're moving around a lot; getting some exercise I suppose."

Ash chuckled quietly, but quickly stopped when he saw Misty's face contort with pain. "Are you okay Mist?"

"Don't worry, it has nothing to do with my stomach," Misty winced, "my ankles and wrists just hurt from being tied up. I don't know how long I've been like this."

"I'm gonna' untie you," Ash went back to work on the tight twine, "we'll be out of here in no time."

"You have to get Starmie too," Misty cringed as Ash messed with the rope, "they locked the poor thing in a cage." She had just looked in the corner of the room and realized that her star shaped Pokémon was sitting dejectedly in a metal pen.

"Pikachu," Ash beckoned to his electric type without looking away from his work, "try and get Starmie out while I free Misty."

"Pika," Pikachu scurried over to the cage and began attacking it.

**XXX**

At the same time, Butch and Cassidy were engaged in a conversation with Giovanni over a small laptop that the two used for communication.

"Sir, you'll be pleased to know that we've got our hands on the target," Cassidy smiled deviously.

"Excellent," Giovanni smirked, "and how's the child?"

"_Very_ active," Cassidy's grin increased, "you're going to have a very talented operative on your hands."

"As I should," Giovanni's narrowed eyes glinted with evil.

"We'll be transporting her to headquarters as soon as possible," Butch continued, "then you may carry out whatever you intend to do with the young woman."

"Very good," Giovanni stroked his Persian's head, "you two have done well. Take caution when you're traveling with the girl. I don't want anything happening to the child."

"Yes sir!" Cassidy and Butch exclaimed simultaneously as the connection went dead.

"The boss sounds pleased," Butch gave his partner a bright look.

"Of course he does," Cassidy twirled a lock of hair around her finger, "we're two of the best operatives around."

"Should we begin to prepare our little mother for mobilization?" Butch asked as he stood up.

"Yes," Cassidy replied as she smoothed out her skirt, "that's a good idea."

As the duo walked towards the small room, Misty could hear their footsteps, and she began to panic.

"Hurry Ash!" Misty cried, "They're coming!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Ash panted as he tugged at the intricate mess of cord. He had freed both of Misty's hands, and was nearly done with her left ankle. After another second or so, the rope fell to the floor, and Misty was able to freely move her leg. "Just one more," Ash hurried over to her right ankle and began to tug at the twine. Pikachu, meanwhile, had severely dented the cage, and the thick metal bars were very close to giving way.

"Ash, please," Misty whimpered, "you don't have much time left!"

"I'm trying Mist," Ash dug his fingers underneath the rope. His skin was raw and cut from all the work he'd been doing, and the pain was getting bad. But Ash wasn't about to let that stop him. He _needed _to get Misty out.

"HEY!"

Misty gasped fearfully. At the same time, Ash gave the knot another good tug and the twine unraveled, falling quickly to the floor. He jumped up in order to glare at whoever the captors were. Upon seeing who it was, he growled lowly and clenched his fists.

"I should've known," Ash bit, "Cassidy and Bot!"

"The name is Butch!" Butch stormed, "and I don't appreciate you messing around with our prize!"

"My wife is not your prize," Ash snarled.

"You're right, she's not," Cassidy smirked, "we want nothing to do with that scrawny red head."

"I'm not scrawny!" Misty barked as she rubbed at her sore ankles. In addition to being scraped by the rope, they were badly swollen as a result of the pregnancy.

"If you don't want Misty, then why did you take her?" Ash took a threatening step forward.

"Because she's carrying the _real _prize," Cassidy huffed, "and we can't do much until she pops it out, now can we?"

"Excuse me?" Ash's eyes were burning like russet fire.

"You heard her," Butch narrowed his eyes, "now step out of the way and let us continue our work."

"Like hell I will!" Ash bellowed. A loud _clang _pierced the air, causing Pikachu to jump back as he panted tiredly. The cage had finally been broken up, and Starmie jumped out next to the electric type, menacingly facing the two members of Team Rocket.

"You're quite the bothersome little thing," Cassidy planted her hands on her hips as she glared at Ash.

"Run," Ash ordered gruffly, "or you're going to be _very _sorry."

"Oh no, I think it's _you_ who's going to be very sorry," Cassidy reached for a poke ball and tossed it carelessly. The sphere popped open and a bright blue light materialized into Raticate, Cassidy's long time partner.

"I'm not afraid of that thing," Ash had venom in his voice. "Get it Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu bent down on all fours, preparing to attack the normal type.

"Starmie, you get in there too!" Misty commanded.

"Hiya!" The purple star Pokémon's ruby jewel shined brightly as it stood firmly by Pikachu, geared up to do whatever it took to take down Raticate.

"Raticate, use super fang," Cassidy waved a haphazard hand. The rat Pokémon's front teeth began to glow a fierce white as they increased in size. It ran towards Pikachu and Starmie, ready to attack both Pokémon at once.

"Pikachu, use thunderbolt!" Ash held his hand out.

"Starmie, confuse ray!" Misty cried.

Pikachu unleashed a jolt of bright yellow electricity, while Starmie shot off a series of bright pink circles from its center gem. Raticate was first struck by the confuse ray, causing it to stumble around. Pikachu's thunderbolt hit it directly afterwards, causing the normal type to cry out in obvious pain.

"Raticate!" Cassidy actually showed concern over her injured Pokémon. Glaring at Ash and Misty, she bellowed, "You're going to pay for this!"

"Ah, Starmie quick, use surf!" Misty called.

"Surf?" Ash glanced at Misty. The water type became covered in a rush of water, which soon eased underneath the Pokémon's spikes. Starmie aimed the attack for the wall of the cabin, knocking down the wooden partition with total ease.

"Hurry Ash!" Misty jumped off the bed, nearly falling in the process. Ash gasped and grabbed at her arm, pulling her back upright.

"You're not going anywhere!" Butch barked as he grabbed one of his own poke balls.

"Pikachu, try thunderbolt one more time!" Ash yelled.

"Pika…CHU!" Pikachu used his attack again, this time sending it towards both Butch and Cassidy. The duo was struck by the strong electric type move. They both fell to the ground, temporarily paralyzed by the powerful attack.

"Let's go!" Ash pulled Misty out of the cabin, with Pikachu and Starmie following closely behind. As he ran, Ash pulled out Staraptor's poke ball and released the flying type.

"Thank you Starmie, return," Misty complimented her Pokémon breathlessly as she sent it back to its sanctuary.

"Misty!" Tracey called out in obvious relief. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay Tracey," Misty smiled, "thank you for helping Ash."

"We have to hurry," Ash looked at Tracey, "Pikachu paralyzed those two, but it's only going to last for so long. Use Scyther to get out of here."

"Got it," Tracey nodded as he tossed a poke ball, releasing his bug type.

Ash helped Misty get onto Staraptor's back, and once she was on, Misty looked down worriedly at the flying type.

"I'm not too heavy for you, am I Staraptor?" Misty asked worriedly. In turn, Staraptor shook his head, proudly puffing out his chest.

"Staraptor, get out of here and fast!" Ash ordered as he jumped in front of Misty. Staraptor flapped his large wings and was soon floating in the air. Looking over his shoulder, Ash smiled softly at Misty and informed her to, "hold on tight." Misty nodded and wrapped her arms around Ash's strong chest. It didn't take long for Scyther to end up next to Staraptor, carrying Tracey on his back.

"Was that a close one?" Tracey asked Ash over the roar of the wind.

"Kind of," Ash breathed out heavily, "but I got my Misty back, didn't I?" Misty smiled sheepishly and rested her cheek on Ash's shoulder. He was truly the greatest husband in the whole world.

**XXX**

Back in the cabin, Cassidy and Butch were finally beginning to regain feeling in their limbs. Butch was taking his time to stretch, but Cassidy on the other hand was not so serene.

"Those two brats!" Cassidy screeched as she jumped up. Her legs were still a little numb, however, and she toppled back over onto the hard wood floor. "How could they have gotten away, just like that?"

"They're powerful," Butch winced as he pulled his arms up, "now I see why the boss really wants that kid of theirs."

"The boss," Cassidy gasped quietly. Her face reddening again, she glared at Butch and barked, "how are we supposed to explain this to the boss?"

**XXX**

"Oh my Misty, my angel…"

Misty giggled as Ash covered her neck and face with sweet, adoring kisses. He was hugging her as tightly as he could without hurting her or the babies, and Misty could tell he wasn't about to let go anytime soon. Ash rubbed her back and nuzzled the top of her head. Eventually, he kneeled down to attack Misty's ever growing belly with a brigade of kisses and sugary, reassuring murmurs.

"I'm okay Ash," Misty blushed slightly, "really, I am."

"I know," Ash stood up to press his palms against her face, "but I'm just so glad you are."

All Misty could do in response was smile and wrap her arms around Ash. He mimicked the action and slowly rocked her back and forth for awhile, taking in the warmth and familiar scent of her skin.

"We should go and show Daisy that I'm alright," Misty finally mumbled against Ash's chest, "she was probably so worried."

"She was," Ash confirmed, pressing a kiss against her temple, "and we'll go in a minute. Just give me a little more time alone with you."

"Okay," Misty sighed, closing her eyes. This whole ordeal had been more than enough for the water type gym leader. She was exhausted and quite sore, and all Misty wanted to do at this point was to take a nice, long nap.

"I'm still so sorry for yelling at you," Ash hugged Misty a little more tightly.

"And I told you not to be," Misty shook her head, "it was a completely stupid argument. Let's just agree to forget about it and try to be more understanding of one another from now on."

"I like that idea," Ash whispered against her lips as he raised her head up.

**XXX**

"YOU FOOLS!"

Cassidy and Butch both flinched as Giovanni slammed his fists against his desk. Persian meowed in displeasure and slinked away from his master, instead choosing to settle at the side of the desk on the floor.

"We didn't mean for this to happen sir," Butch was visibly shaking, "the Pokémon master was just too strong for us!"

"Because you two are both weaklings!" Giovanni roared. "I should've _never_ trusted you for such an important mission!"

"We'll do better next time sir!" Cassidy frowned.

"No, you will not," Giovanni seethed, "because there won't _be_ a next time!" Cassidy and Butch gasped collectively at this.

"You can't be serious sir!" Cassidy cried, her eyes full of disbelief.

"Oh, I am," Giovanni growled, "you two are clearly too incompetent for a task as crucial as this. Therefore, I am removing you from the job."

"Sir…" Butch stammered.

"My mind has been made up!" Giovanni smashed his hand against the hard wood surface yet again. "Now out of my sight! Both of you!"

Cassidy and Butch ran out of Giovanni's office as fast as a pair of Rapidash. Still glowering, Giovanni lowered himself back into his chair and rested his head against his hands. He needed to do _something _to get his hands on the baby that the master's wife was carrying. _Anything._

What he needed was someone who wouldn't falter under the pressure. Someone he _knew _could get the mission done.

What Giovanni needed was the most powerful, the most ruthless member of Team Rocket.

He needed an elite agent.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay, she's safe! Err, for <em>now.<em>**

**This story is about to break my personal record for reviews I've gotten on my stories, which is _amazing! _It makes me really happy to know that you guys actually enjoy reading my writing, so thank you so much! Keep on reading and reviewing and I'll see you all next time!**


	12. Home is Where the Pain is

**Happy 4th of July to my fellow American readers!**

**Here's the next chapter for you all. It's decidedly less intense than the last chapter (come on, I've gotta' give them a break every once in a while, no?) but it's still a good one. The very end of the chapter is one of my _favorite _parts of this whole story, in fact!**

**So, enough of my rambling, and enjoy the update!**

* * *

><p>One month after the Team Rocket incident, Misty was nearly six and a half months pregnant.<p>

And she was in full on "mother to be" mode.

It all started one bright, sunny morning. It was mid October, and the air outside was beginning to grow crisp as the leaves turned brown and orange and fell from the tall trees that stood all around Pallet Town. The cold chill had somehow found its way into Delia's house, and Ash was awoken by his shivering.

Grunting, Ash pulled the covers up all the way to his chin, swaddling himself desperately into the soft material.

"Mmm…aren't you cold Mist?" Ash mumbled. He got no response. Assuming she was still sleeping, Ash rolled in closer to her direction, but never bumped into the sleeping young woman. He kept on turning over and over until he finally fell off the side of the bed, landing on the floor with a hard _thud._

"Ow…" Ash whined as he rubbed at his head. He looked back up at the bed with a look of longing, but that expression was soon exchanged with one of confusion.

Misty wasn't in bed.

"Misty?" Ash called. He walked slowly out of the room, peeking into every door that lined the upstairs hallway. "Misty?"

Ash finally reached the banister without having found Misty. Letting out a tiny puff of air, Ash walked down the steps, his eyes darting left to right in search of his wife.

"Misty!" He tried again.

"In the living room!"

Ash raised an eyebrow. Misty sounded quite jovial, which was unusual for her in the morning. Ash climbed down the remaining steps and strode into the living room. And as soon as he entered, his eyes grew wide in shock.

"Misty…what are you doing?"

The living room furniture had been completely rearranged. The couch now sat on the opposite side of the room, and the chairs were in entirely different corners. Misty was busy pushing a small table around, but upon seeing Ash, she stopped and smiled feebly at him.

"Ashy!" She cooed, "thank goodness you're here! I need help."

"With what?" Ash blinked, "how did you move all the furniture?"

"I did it," Misty answered as though it were obvious. Wincing slightly, she went to rub her back, "although I think I'll be paying for that later."

"Misty, don't do that!" Ash shrieked, "You shouldn't be moving furniture around! You're _pregnant!_"

"But Ash, you don't understand," Misty whined, her mouth bending into a frown.

"Enlighten me," Ash sighed, throwing his arms up in a fashion of surrender.

"The house isn't right," Misty explained without hesitation.

"What do you mean it's not right?" Ash scratched his head.

"Everything needs to be moved," Misty wringed her hands in an almost nervous fashion, "oh Ash, don't you just think the house feels so cluttered?"

"No, not really…"

"Well it is!" Misty stomped her foot, causing Ash to back away slightly. Her hormones were in full swing this morning. The sound of little paws hurrying across the floor suddenly caught Ash's attention. Looking down, the raven haired young man caught sight of Pikachu walking over to the table that Misty had just been moving. The yellow mouse Pokémon held a feather duster between his teeth, and he jumped onto the table top with complete ease in order to start dusting it off.

"Thanks Pikachu!" Misty smiled broadly. Glaring at Ash, she huffed, "at least _someone_ is willing to help me."

"Hey, I didn't say I wouldn't help you," Ash pouted.

"No, you just implied it," Misty narrowed her eyes as she moved over to one of the chairs, attempting to move it.

"Misty, quit it!" Ash scolded as he hurried up to her. He smacked her wrist very gently, just so she would remove them from the chair. Sighing, Ash looked up at his wife and asked tiredly, "where do you want it to go?"

Misty's face lit up instantly. She pointed to the opposite corner and commented, "I think it would look best over there."

As Ash was busy dragging the piece of furniture across the room, Delia came down the stairs, yawning behind her hand as she did so. When she opened her tired eyes, an expression of bewilderment overtook her face when she saw her completely rearranged living room. It didn't take long for Ash to get the chair in its new spot, and once it was there, Misty began to clap happily. Realizing what was going on, Delia smiled amusedly to herself and continued down the steps.

"Misty, I love what you've done in here!" Delia complimented, her light brown eyes shining.

"You do?" Misty sounded quite pleased.

"Oh yes, it's wonderful!" Delia nodded. "I've been meaning to rearrange in here for quite some time, and you've managed to do it for me! It's perfect!"

"I'm glad to know you like it," Misty smiled.

"I'm going to start getting breakfast ready," Delia turned towards the kitchen, "will you help me Ash?"

"What am I? A servant?" Ash grumbled under his breath as he followed after his mother. Misty, in turn, began to help Pikachu dust off the living room furniture.

Once they were in the kitchen, Ash looked at Delia and asked, "Do you know what's wrong with Misty?"

"Oh dear, nothing's wrong with her!" Delia giggled.

"Well something definitely isn't _right_," Ash rubbed the back of his neck, "all of a sudden, she just wakes up and decides to start renovating your house?"

"It's called nesting sweetheart," Delia tried sweetly.

"I feel like Misty's said something about that before…" Ash mused.

"It just means she's trying to get the house as comfortable as possible before the babies are born," Delia explained, "so not much longer now!"

That caused Ash's heart rate to increase almost dangerously. He had barely two months left to get ready. They both did. A frantic expression filled Ash's eyes, and he could've sworn he was about to hyperventilate. Or pass out. Whichever came first.

"Oh Ash, don't worry," Delia reassuringly patted her son's arm as she began to collect some pans to cook breakfast, "you two are going to be just fine."

"I guess," Ash mumbled statically. Shaking his head slightly, Ash brought himself back to reality and asked, "How do you want me to help you?"

"By not helping me," Delia smirked.

"But you asked me to…"

"I know I did," Delia nodded, "but you're a terrible cook, Ash. I just brought you in here because I could tell you were confused with what Misty was doing. So I wanted to explain it to you without her in earshot."

"Then what am I supposed to do now?" Ash scrunched up his nose.

"Go help Misty clean," Delia replied, completely serious, "she shouldn't be doing so much work."

Ash rolled his eyes and trudged back into the living room. All of this back and forth was going to be the death of him.

**XXX**

"There, don't you think it looks so much better?"

Ash and Misty had taken a break from their little cleaning session for breakfast, and had picked it back up as soon as they were finished.

"Yeah…" Ash blinked, "it looks good."

In reality, Ash wasn't so sure that he liked seeing his house in such a different manner. Hopefully he'd be able to move all the furniture back when Misty got over the nesting stage.

"Thank you for helping me Ashy," Misty suddenly jumped at the raven haired young man, giving him a tight hug. Ash turned to give her a look of confusion, but Misty didn't bother to back down. She just kept smiling and holding him closely.

"Heh, it was no problem," Ash returned the grin, rubbing his nose against hers, "I'd do anything for you, Mist."

"You would?" Misty beamed.

"Of course!" Ash chuckled.

"So could you help me go shopping?" Misty batted her long, dark eyelashes at the Pokémon master.

"Huh?" Ash grew wide eyed.

"Shopping," Misty repeated simply, "I need things."

"What kind of things?" Ash folded his arms.

"Baby things," Misty hugged him again, hoping to tide him over by acting as sweet as possible. "It'll be fun Ashy! Come on."

"I don't like shopping," Ash frowned.

"You'll like shopping for baby stuff though," Misty replied adamantly.

"Wanna' bet?" Ash raised an eyebrow.

"Come on," Misty frowned, squeezing Ash a little more tightly, "please honey? Please?"

"But our own house isn't even _done _yet," Ash groaned, "where do you expect to put all of the furniture until then?"

"I don't know," Misty whined like a child, "but where do you expect our children to _sleep _before then?"

Ash cursed himself inwardly. He hadn't thought about that at all. Where _would _they put the babies at night?

"Uh…they could stay in our bed," Ash tried, "with us."

"No!" Misty gasped, clearly horrified by the idea. "You're a _terrible _sleeper! You roll around all over the place! What if you accidentally rolled over onto one of them? They would get crushed!"

"Ah!" Ash shrieked, fear coursing through his body. Just the thought of hurting one of the babies was enough to terrify Ash. The last thing he wanted to do was crush the little things! "You're right, bad idea. Well…they could use a sleeping bag. Yeah! We could put it on the floor. Problem solved."

"Are you an idiot?" Misty deadpanned, all of the sweetness she had formerly been presenting evaporating.

"Sleeping bags are actually really comfortable," Ash defended, "they'll love it!"

"Little newborn babies can't sleep in a sleeping bag!" Misty stormed. "That's dangerous too! They could suffocate!"

"Really?" Ash frowned, the trepidation flowing through his veins once again.

"Yes," Misty nodded seriously. "They need a crib, Ash. A crib with a mattress, sheets, and a bumper so they don't hit their heads on the bars."

"But still, where are we going to fit that here?" Ash brushed back his dark bangs as he gave Misty a concerned look. "A crib won't fit in the room we have right now."

"Oh, you two don't have to worry about anything like that right now!" Delia's happy voice came floating into the room. Ash and Misty turned towards the kitchen, where she was standing in the doorway with a smile on her face. "I have a little surprise you might like."

"A surprise?" Misty sounded quite excited by the prospect.

"Yes," Delia giggled, "why don't you follow me upstairs and I'll show you?" She walked up the stairs, with Ash and Misty trailing closely behind. "I've been hiding them in my room so you two wouldn't see," Delia continued as she stepped in front of her bedroom door, "I really wanted to surprise you both with something special!"

"What is it?" Ash asked, leaning in slightly as though he would be able to see past the closed door. Delia chuckled yet again before swinging the door open, leading the young couple into her room. Ash walked in without concern, but Misty was a little more hesitant. Ash looked curiously over his shoulder, giving Misty an encouraging smile. In return, Misty gave a single nod and waltzed in, her emerald eyes scanning the room studiously.

As she looked around, Misty's eyes became locked on two seemingly out of place pieces of furniture that stood on the left side of Delia's bed.

"Delia," Misty asked quietly as she pointed at the objects, "are those the surprise?"

"Yes, they are!" Delia replied proudly, her face beaming as her eyes glittered. "What do you think?"

"They're…they're _adorable_!" Misty squealed, clapping her hands together.

Next to Delia's bed were two cradles, surrounded by delicate white lace. The only differing part of the bassinets was the taffeta ribbon tied around the middle of the cot. The one on the far left featured a blue ribbon, while the cradle closer to the bed had a pink ribbon. Both were tied into a big, perfect ribbon on the front, and the lace fell all the way down to the floor like an elegant, sheer waterfall.

"The one with the blue ribbon seems kind of familiar…" Ash scratched his head, trying to think of where he'd seen the cradle before.

"That's because it was yours when you were a baby, Ash," Delia smiled at her son, "I just got the one with the pink ribbon to match it."

"How cute!" Misty sighed, snuggling against Ash's side, "our son will sleep in the same bed that _you _slept in!"

"Yeah," Ash smiled gently, "that is pretty cute. At least now I don't have to go baby shopping."

"No, now you don't have to go _crib _shopping," Misty playfully corrected, "there's still lots of other things that we need to buy."

"Fantastic," Ash rolled his eyes.

"I can help you two," Delia grinned, "it's no problem. I'm just happy you like the cradles!"

"We _love _them!" Misty trilled, giving Delia such a tight hug that the older woman was actually alarmed at first. "Thank you so much!"

"It's no problem dear," Delia giggled as she returned Misty's embrace, "not at all!"

**XXX**

Ash loved Misty. Of course he did; more than anything in the world. Misty's pregnancy was bringing out all different sides of her that Ash could have never imagined. There were times were she was happy as could be, and within the next minute she was sobbing hysterically for no good reason.

Her cravings were also a wonder for Ash to behold. Misty would eat anything from plain powdered sugar to cereal mixed in with sprinkles. And then there were foods that could make Misty sick if she just _looked_ at them. Things like ice cream and soup were actually making her physically ill, so the gym leader was making sure to avoid anything of the nature.

And then there was her…need for love and attention.

It hadn't been there in the beginning, but the later into her pregnancy Misty got, the needier she became with Ash.

Of course, Ash wasn't about to complain about this desire that Misty had. Very often, she would just come up to him at some random time of the day, grab a hold of his shirt, and tell him she wanted to go. And Ash would oblige. He could never say no to the young woman. It certainly didn't hurt that it was something they _both _wanted and could enjoy. In fact, Ash was convinced he could never grow tired of Misty's increased sex drive.

As were most of his predictions, Ash was wrong.

After a night of "having at it" on three separate occasions, Ash was sore and exhausted. Worst of all, he had a telephone conference with members of the Pokémon League at noon.

Misty, however, could care less about Ash's prior engagements. She wanted to make love to Ash, and she wanted to do it _now._

Slinking up to the tired raven haired young man, Misty smirked and wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling her cheek against his back.

"Yes, that sounds good…" Ash spoke softly into the phone, moving one of his hands back to brush at Misty's red hair. He was glad that at this point Misty only wanted to cuddle. Or so he thought.

"I think that moving those battles might be a good idea…" Ash's voice began to slow down as he felt Misty's lips brush against his neck. She was kissing him up and down his warm skin, loosening her hold on the young man. "Uh…yeah…I like that plan."

Misty giggled against Ash's neck and began moving her hands over his torso. Ash grunted quietly and pulled her hands away, trying to listen intently to the conversation that was taking place over the phone. Misty was not easily deterred, however. She lowered her head next to his shoulder and yanked at his shirt, pressing her palms against his toned upper body.

"Misty, stop!" Ash hissed as he covered the phone's speaker with his hand. "I'm busy!"

"Yeah?" Misty chuckled, "me too." She started kissing Ash again, causing him to groan and gently tug at her fiery tresses.

"What will we do with the Pokémon then?" Ash began speaking into the phone once more, causing Misty to scowl in displeasure. Why was Ash ignoring her advances? He'd never done that before. Huffing, Misty moved her hands lower and began to stroke Ash's leg.

"You're going to give in," Misty whispered, resting her head on Ash's shoulder.

"No," Ash moved the phone away from his face, glaring at Misty.

"Yes," Misty bit back, grabbing the back of Ash's head and smashing his lips against her own. She kissed him deeply and passionately, causing Ash to reluctantly groan and drop the phone on the floor. When the need for air arose, Misty pushed Ash away and grinned deviously at her exasperated husband. "What do you say now?"

Ash leaned down to pick up the phone and press it against the side of his face. Misty frowned at the action, until Ash was able to stammer out his words.

"Uh…I…I have to go. I'm sorry. It's…there's an emergency I have to take care of."

Ash pressed the 'talk' button on the phone and put the device down, looking up at Misty and giving her a glance that seemed to say "satisfied?"

Misty beamed hugely and nearly tackled Ash, wrapping her arms around him as she showered him with adoring kisses.

Ash chuckled softly and kissed her back, although inside he was fighting the urge to scream and run out of the house. He _really _couldn't wait for all of this to be over.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, torturing poor Ash is so much fun. <em>Especially <em>when it's with Misty. She really knows how to put him through the ringer, eh?**

**That's all for this chapter! I'll update again within the week. Meanwhile, the response to this story has just been awesome, and I'm totally greatful for it! You guys all rule!**

**So, until next time, keep reading, reviewing, and rocking!**


	13. The Tea of Life

**Hello dear readers! I'm back with another chapter! And this one goes back to the real action.**

**So, what will happen? Read on to find out...**

* * *

><p>"Wow, I'm surprised I feel so good!" Misty giggled as Ash cast her a worried glance.<p>

"Don't jinx it Mist," Ash sighed, "I don't need anything bad happening to you. Not this late into it."

"Oh Ash, quit being such a worried Wobbufet," Misty rolled her eyes, causing Ash to huff. "I'm going to be just fine. Promise."

"And don't make any promises," Ash wagged a finger, "sometimes you can't determine your own fate."

Misty growled lowly and placed a hand on her seven months pregnant stomach. The more pregnant she became, the more concern Ash expressed for her. It was sweet at first, but at this point Misty was just getting annoyed. She almost wished she would just have the babies now so Ash could quit acting so nonsensical.

"Good morning you two!" Scott greeted energetically. Ash and Misty both looked perplexed by the older man's salutation. He was _never _that happy.

"What's gotten into you, Scott?" Ash asked.

"Nothing my boy," Scott chuckled, "nothing at all!"

"That's a lie if I ever heard one," Misty narrowed her eyes.

"It's nothing but the truth," Scott shook his head.

"Well then, what brings you here this morning Scott?" Ash folded his arms. He knew that his manager had _something_ up his sleeve. Weighing Ash down with appearances and tournaments was pretty much Scott's motivation to get up every morning.

"I've received a special invitation for both you and Misty," Scott trilled, "and the event sounds _very_ exciting."

"Event?" Misty cringed slightly.

"Oh, not to worry dear," Scott turned towards the red head, "it's only for you and Ash."

"What is it?" Ash blinked.

"A tea ceremony," Scott grinned, "to bless the babies."

"Oh, that sounds cute!" Misty smiled, her eyes beginning to sparkle. Ash, however, looked less than impressed.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Ash inquired.

"Ash, calm down," Misty sighed, "it's just a little tea ceremony. We're not going sky diving for Arceus' sake."

"But…" Ash tried.

"Ash, Misty is right," Scott interrupted the young man, "this will be a positive bonding experience for you two. Also, it'll bring about some good press."

"Fine," Ash grumbled after a moment or so, "I'll go."

"Excellent!" Scott clapped his hands, "I'll go inform them that you two are on board!"

"Scott, when_ is_ this ceremony?" Misty called.

"Tomorrow!" Scott beamed, "See Ash? You won't have to wait too long. It'll be over before you know it."

"I already said fine," Ash whined. Groaning to himself, Ash turned on a heel and announced, "I'm going to go outside and train for a bit. Come on Pikachu."

"Pika," the electric type leapt off the couch and onto Ash's shoulder, allowing the Pokémon master to carry him outside. As he walked out, Misty glared at her husband's back. Ash was _really _beginning to wear out her last nerve. He honestly had _no_ reason to worry; not one bit.

**XXX**

"Oh, that's wonderful to hear! We look forward to seeing them tomorrow!" Jessie trilled on the phone in a much higher voice than usual. "Thank you, good bye now!" With that, she hung up the phone and turned to grin at her teammates.

"Is the mission underway?" James asked excitedly.

"Yes it is," Jessie grinned deviously, "the twerps have absolutely no idea!"

"Wow, dis is just poifect!" Meowth purred, "I can't believe somethin's finally working out in our favor!"

"And you're sure we can carry out this plan?" James rubbed his chin.

"Of course I'm sure," Jessie rolled her eyes, "this plan of mine is almost fool proof!"

"_Almost_?" James posed worriedly.

"Urgh, it _is _fool proof!" Jessie punched James in the arm. "Better?"

"Yes…" James sulked as he rubbed the now sore spot.

"Wait, what's da' plan again?" Meowth piped up.

"Alright, listen up," Jessie planted her hands firmly on her hips, "because I'm only going to explain it once more."

"We're all ears!" Meowth saluted the magenta haired operative.

"The twerp and twerpette think they're coming to a tea ceremony to bless that unborn child of theirs," Jessie elaborated, "and that's exactly the charade we're going to put on for them!"

"But in reality?" James questioned.

"We pack the tea full of ingredients that have been proved to induce labor!" Jessie giggled evilly, "it's perfect! After just a few short hours, the twerpette will pop out that kid, and we'll bring it straight to the boss!"

"But how do we steal the twerpette's baby without her knowing?" James tilted his head.

"Quit it with all the questions," Jessie narrowed her eyes. "It's simple. We use pain medication to knock her right out. She won't know the difference."

"Jess is right," Meowth grinned, "dis plan really _is_ fool proof!"

"Of course it is," Jessie flicked away a lock of stray hair, "now, let's get to work. We have a lot to do before the big day tomorrow!"

**XXX**

"Alright, so after sleeping on it, I suppose this _could_ be fun," Ash glanced over at Misty.

"I don't wanna' hear it," Misty grumbled, looking down as the two walked.

"Hey, what's the matter Mist?" Ash frowned, "are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Misty looked away slightly, her shoulders shrugging backwards.

"You sure don't sound okay," Ash scratched his head.

"Because you've gone back to treating me like a little kid," Misty finally responded, her tone rather sharp, "I hate it, Ash. I'm a grown woman, and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and knowing my body's limitations."

"I'm sorry Misty," Ash's apology was whole hearted, "I'm just so worried about you. I can't help it. I don't know what you're really feeling."

"That's very sweet of you Ash," Misty sighed, "and I appreciate it. Really I do. But you need to back off a little bit, okay? I won't lie to you. If something is really bothering me, I'll tell you."

"You mean it?" Ash raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Misty turned to give Ash a hug, "I do."

"Okay then," Ash kissed her cheek and gave her a pat on the back, "I won't be so crazy from now on."

"So how much longer until we get to the tea place?" Misty asked as she pulled away from Ash.

"You tell me," Ash bent his eyebrows, "you know I suck with directions."

"Yoo-hoo! Over here!"

Ash and Misty's heads snapped up, and they found a sophisticated older woman hurrying towards them. Little did they know it was just Jessie in disguise.

"Ah, you must be the Pokémon master," she bowed towards Ash before turning her attention to Misty, "and you're his lovely wife, correct?"

"Lovely?" Misty repeated before beaming, "That's very sweet of you!"

"It's nothing but the truth!" The woman trilled. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the mistress of the tea ceremony! The name is uh…Jessadyna! Yes, Jessadyna it is."

"Hello Jessadyna," Misty offered one of her delicate hands, "I'm Misty."

"Of course you are!" Jessadyna giggled as she took Misty's hand into her own. "And the master's name is Ash Ketchum!"

"Uh, yeah," Ash blushed slightly, "it is."

"Well, enough standing around!" Jessadyna flicked a strand of her magenta hair, "let's head on over to where the tea ceremony will be taking place!"

"And where's that?" Ash asked with a curious look.

"Ah, right over here!" Jessadyna pointed towards a small wooden shack that sat nearby. "That's my little tea house! It doesn't look like much, but believe me when I say it's very comfortable! You'll feel right at home."

"That's nice," Misty glanced warningly at Ash.

"Yes! Come along now!" Jessadyna led the two towards the cottage, bringing them inside to the warmth. Misty shivered happily at the heat that now surrounded her body. She was never really a cold weather person, and the crisp November air was really beginning to get to her.

"Please, take a seat!" Jessadyna's voice brought Misty back to reality. She found the older woman gesturing towards a small table with two cushions placed before it.

"Is me sitting on the floor such a good idea?" Misty asked as she rubbed her large bump.

"I'll help you back up," Ash smiled at her. Misty exchanged the sweet action, and before she knew it, Jessadyna was pulling both her and Ash down onto the cushions.

"Sit, sit!" Jessadyna ushered.

"Yeah, definitely _not_ a good idea," Misty furrowed her brow as she unsteadily rocked back and forth for a moment.

"You two stay right here!" Jessadyna beamed, "I'm going to go check on the tea, and I'll be right back!" The magenta haired woman disappeared behind a colorful curtain, leading Ash and Misty to exchange curious looks.

Behind the drape, Jessie reverted back to herself and glared down at James and Meowth. "Is it ready yet?"

"Almost," James replied as he poured some vinegar into the teapot. The previous night, the Rockets had spent ample time researching different ingredients that were believed to induce labor. Vinegar had been near the top of the list, and most of the items were spicy foods.

"Boy, dis is hard work!" Meowth sighed while slipping some hot sauce into the mix. Jessie growled impatiently as her counterparts continued with their work, incorporating raspberry leaves and cinnamon sticks into their little concoction.

"You two need to hurry up!" Jessie snapped quietly. She didn't want to yell too loud for fear of the twerps hearing it and realizing it was her.

"Just another minute Jess," James looked up at her with tired eyes. The trio had stayed up just about all night preparing for the scheme.

"Fine," Jessie grumbled as she folded her arms.

"Jess, dis ain't gonna' hurt da' twoipette and da' baby, is it?" Meowth asked worriedly.

"Of course not," Jessie rolled her eyes, "I have no desire to bring any harm to the twerpette. And that baby needs to be as healthy as possible. All this will do is help bring out the kid."

"It's done!" James whispered excitedly.

"Hooray!" Jessie cheered as she snatched the pot up. It was quite hot, and she nearly burnt her hands on the scalding metal. "I'll be back in a flash!"

Jessie emerged from behind the curtain once again, reassuming her role as Jessadyna.

"Just wait until you try this tea!" She giggled as she sat down in front of the young couple, "it's perfect!"

"It smells good," Misty commented as Jessadyna poured the tea into a cup, trying to hide her devious smirk. "It helps that I'm thirsty too!"

She handed the cup to Misty, who took it cautiously in case it was hot. Sensing the warmth of the drink, Misty began to blow on the liquid in an attempt to cool it off. Once she thought it was at a good enough temperature, Misty raised the cup to her lips and took a little sip. Swallowing the tea, she made a bit of a face and stuck out her tongue ever so slightly.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked warily.

"It tastes strange…" Misty mused, "bitter almost. It's kind of a mix of sweet and spicy, I think."

"Aren't you not supposed to eat anything that's spicy?" Ash grew wide eyed.

"Oh, there's nothing spicy in there!" Jessadyna quickly replied, "It's just the flavor. Nothing spicy in the tea, that's for sure." She handed a cup to Ash, which he took after debating it for a moment. Ash obviously wasn't pregnant like Misty was, so the tea would do nothing for him. But in order to not look suspicious, Jessie knew that she'd have to serve the tea to the both of them.

"It tastes a little spicy to me too," Ash looked up at the older woman.

"Nonsense," Jessadyna laughed. Ash and Misty were both staring at her like a pair of young children, waiting intently for this to be proven to them. Groaning inwardly, Jessadyna poured herself a cup of tea and took a sip. Just as Misty had said, it didn't taste too good.

"Mmm…delicious!" Jessadyna finally choked out. "Not even a spicy after taste!"

"Well, she would know," Misty turned to look at Ash.

"I guess you're right…" Ash looked down into his cup. He was trying to be polite and drink the stuff, but it was really quite unappetizing. Misty, while she didn't like it much either, was just too thirsty. So she drank up all of the tea, even asking for a little more.

"How can you drink this stuff?" Ash whispered to Misty after Jessadyna disappeared behind the screen yet again.

"Because I'm desperate," Misty furrowed her brow, "it doesn't taste good though." As she took another sip with Ash looking on, a loud clap of thunder interrupted the previous silence. In the room.

"Pika?" Pikachu, who had been sitting dormant on Ash's shoulder, squeaked excitedly. As an electric type, the mouse Pokémon always adored thunder and lightning storms. They were fun for him. Sparks began to emanate from Pikachu's cheeks, slightly alarming his dark haired trainer.

"Pikachu, calm down, won't ya?" Ash nervously eyed his partner.

"He's just excited about the thunder is all," Misty smiled at the yellow mouse, "isn't that right, Pikachu?"

"Ka!" Pikachu happily twitched his ears.

"Yeah, but I don't wanna' get electrocuted!" Ash lowered his tensed shoulders.

"Oh my, it's certainly grown tempestuous outside, now hasn't it?" Jessadyna reappeared, her face looking quite serene. In her head, however, Jessie was celebrating over the storm's sudden emergence.

"Yeah," Ash looked through one of the small windows, "what if it doesn't stop soon?"

"You two could always stay here for the night," Jessadyna grinned hopefully, "it's not a problem at all!"

"I think we may have to do that," Ash sighed as he glanced at Misty, "I don't want you out there in this weather. Normally I wouldn't mind, but it's November. The mix of rain and cold wind is just gonna' make you sick."

"If you think that's what we should do…" Misty shrugged.

Jessie, meanwhile, just grinned deviously to herself. The twerps were playing right into her trap!

**XXX**

That night, despite the storm raging outside, Misty was sleeping peacefully in the corner of the room. Rain had always proved to be calming for the young woman, so Misty was more than happy to sleep through the storm. Sleeping on the floor wasn't ideal, but the warm, plush blankets she was wrapped in were certainly helping.

Ash had fallen asleep next to her, but not long after he had passed out, James and Meowth had tied the boy up and brought him behind the curtain.

By the middle of the night, Misty's eyebrows began to twitch as she slowly opened her eyes. Something had interrupted her sleep, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Suddenly, a dull pain spread across her upper stomach, causing Misty to wince and rub at the sore spot. Sitting up, Misty groaned quietly as the pain found its way to her lower stomach. The ache wasn't bad, but it was enough to be quite bothersome. Wailing softly, Misty looked down at her side, and grew wide eyed upon seeing that Ash was missing. Had he left her? Been kidnapped? Or maybe he'd just gone to the bathroom? Misty settled on the third option as she worked to relax her stomach.

Before she knew it, the pain had increased dramatically, and it was soon at the point where Misty felt like she was going to cry. It actually _really _hurt. Another groan escaped Misty's lips, this one louder and stronger than the previous ones.

All of the noise awoke Jessie, who upon realizing it was Misty complaining, began to beam with anticipation. James and Meowth opened their eyes as well, slowly rubbing the sleep away from their eyes.

"What's all dat' racquet?" Meowth yawned.

"It's the twerpette," Jessie grinned as she pulled her disguise back on, "I think our tea is finally working its magic!"

"She's havin' da baby?" Meowth grew wide eyed.

"Hopefully," Jessie grumbled as she made sure her disguise was perfect. Once she felt it was, she stepped out from behind the curtain, grinning deliriously at Misty.

"Oh dear, is something wrong out here?" Jessadyna asked, her voice curling with sweetness.

"Uh…I'm not sure," Misty winced, "my stomach is bothering me."

"How so?" Jessadyna adjusted the glasses that rested on the bridge of her nose.

"It…it hurts," Misty grabbed at her midsection, "the pain will go away for a few minutes, but it just keeps coming back."

"Poor thing," Jessadyna frowned and moved closer to Misty, "perhaps you should try laying down again."

"That wasn't helping…" Misty groaned.

"Well, try, try again!" Jessadyna gently pushed Misty down by the shoulders and held her down. Misty squirmed underneath the moderate hold, but didn't try to escape. She was in too much pain.

"Have you seen my husband?" Misty asked worriedly.

"Hmm…no, I haven't! That's peculiar, now isn't it?"

"WH…what do you mean?" Misty clenched her fists to try and distract from the pain in her stomach.

"Perhaps he's left," Jessadyna shrugged, "it's very possible."

"What? No it isn't!" Misty now started to thrash around, "Ash would _never _leave me! Let me go!"

"I'm just trying to help you dear," Jessadyna cooed.

Misty could no longer take it. The pain was _so _bad it was blinding. With that, she let out a fierce, blood curdling scream. One that was loud enough to cause Jessadyna to shriek and jump away from the pained red head.

"P…please don't tell me what I think this is…" Misty puffed, rubbing her engorged belly, "OW!"

Jessadyna, meanwhile, was frozen in fear. She hadn't realized that bearing a child was such a painful process! The last thing she wanted to deal with was a screaming twerpette.

"Hey, calm down!" Jessadyna nearly snapped, her voice slipping back to its usual tone.

"I WANT ASH!" Misty screamed as tears cascaded down her face, "I NEED ASH!"

"Shut up you stupid twerp!" Jessie finally lost it as she tore off her disguise, "could you _please _just pop that kid out without all the noise?"

"Team Rocket?" Misty panted, her eyes widening at the sight of Jessie. After an awkward few seconds, Misty let out another yell and began to kick her legs at the magenta haired villain. "LET ME GO!"

"Not until you give me that baby of yours!" Jessie wagged a finger at the pained and irate red head.

"You're not gonna' get my baby!" Misty breathed heavily, her face beginning to glow a bright red. Her legs were still flailing, but Jessie had moved far enough out of the way where she couldn't be kicked. "ASH!" Misty screamed again.

From behind the curtain, Ash instantly woke up, his heart pounding dangerously in his chest.

"Misty?" He murmured softly. Blinking, he raised his voice a little louder. "Misty?"

"ASH HELP!" Misty cried, her voice flooding with heavy sobs. Gasping, Ash tried to stand up, but was thwarted by the ropes tied around his body. Even Pikachu was tied up in the corner of the room and couldn't escape.

"Sorry twerp," James chuckled as he and Meowth walked through the curtain, "you'll just have to stay here while we tend to your pretty little wife."

"What's wrong with her?" Ash barked, "why is she crying like that?"

But the only response the raven haired Pokémon master got was the sound of James and Meowth laughing hysterically as they walked into the front of the cabin. When they got there, however, the scene before them caused their laughter to cease immediately.

Misty's face was scrunched in pain, her long legs still fighting to connect with Jessie's body. Jessie, on the other hand, had finally grabbed a hold of Misty's ankles, and was attempting to hold her legs down.

"Come on Jess," Meowth raised an eyebrow, "get da' baby out already!"

"Do you _really _think it's that easy?" Jessie stormed.

"Jessie, you didn't say that giving birth was a painful experience!" James pointed an accusatory finger at his female counterpart.

"I didn't know!" Jessie snarled.

"UGH how do you IDIOTS not know that?" Misty screamed, "it's basic knowledge!"

"Make her stop Jess!" Meowth covered his triangular ears with his paws, wincing as he did so. The twerpette could _really_ make some noise.

Misty continued to yell and whimper as the pain filled her abdomen. On the other side of the room, Ash listened to the cries before shouting, "Misty, what are they doing to you?"

"I told you two to keep that twerp from talking!" Jessie growled, "Get in there and shut him up!" James and Meowth hurried back into the half of the room where they'd left the tied up Ash.

"Misty, tell me what they're doing!" Ash ordered as he clumsily tried to roll away from James and Meowth.

"I…I…" Misty panted, still trying to break away from Jessie. She was pained and growing tired, her breath quickly becoming ragged and stuck in her throat as she tried to answer Ash's question.

"MISTY!" Ash called out worriedly as James shut his mouth with a piece of tape.

"I think the babies are coming," Misty finally wheezed out before putting her tired head down and whimpering quietly. Ash grew wide eyed and stopped moving instantly. The trio, meanwhile, pretty much did the same thing.

"Bab_ies_?" James gasped.

"There's…more than one?" Jessie blinked.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, so, I'm gonna' feel really bad when I say this, especially after leaving it off at this cliff hanger. I'll be going away for 2 weeks to camp. The good news, however, is that I will have my laptop, and I'll try to update as often as I usually do. I just can't make any promises because it's a pre-college program and I don't know how much work I'm going to have to do.<strong>

**As I said last chapter (and probably all the chapters before then) the reception for this story has been AWESOME, and I'm just thrilled. This is something I've really wanted to write for awhile, and it makes me beyond happy to know that people are enjoying reading it just as much as I enjoy writing it. So thanks for being so awesome!**

**Until then, remember to read, review, and keep on being awesome!**


	14. Close Call

**So, you wanna know how much I love you guys? I have spent almost every moment in the dorm room trying to connect to the internet (took a solid 24 hours, but we finally got there!) AND I proof read and uploaded this chapter 10 minutes before I had to go to class.**

**See, I care about you guys! A little thing like pre college won't get in my way of updating :P**

* * *

><p>"Heh! Can you believe our luck?" Meowth cheered excitedly, "there's gonna' be <em>two <em>twoip babies!"

"For once a mission is going better than expected!" James clapped his hands together.

"We're going to get _such _a great reward!" Jessie grinned, victoriously pumping her fist.

But the trio's celebration was quickly cut off by a blood curdling scream courtesy of Misty, who was on the verge of a crying fit.

"Calm yourself down twerpette," Jessie flicked a piece of magenta hair, "all of your yelling is ruining our fun."

"This HURTS!" Misty yelled, "And it's only getting WORSE!"

"That ain't _our _problem!" Meowth huffed.

"Actually, it sort of is…" James chuckled nervously.

"I swear, you three better know how to deliver a baby!" Misty seethed as Team Rocket watched over her nervously. "Like hell I want you anywhere near my children, but it looks like I'm not gonna' have a choice!"

"Uh…I thought that was Meowth's job…" James blushed furiously.

"WHAT?" Meowth yelped, "you must be outta' your mind! I ain't deliverin' no baby twerps!"

"And I'm sure as hell not letting a _Pokémon _help me to give birth!" Misty fumed, her eyes burning like emerald fire.

"Err…let's see then…" James reached for Misty's stomach, but she quickly moved out of the way. "Huh?"

"Don't touch me!" Misty cried.

"How are we supposed to help you when you won't even let us touch your _stomach_?" Jessie folded her arms.

"I don't like random people touching my belly," Misty scowled.

"Jess, dis ain't gonna' woik," Meowth huffed.

"Can't you just let Ash go?" Misty sniffed, her eyes overflowing with tears, "I…I need him. Please."

"What do we do?" James eyed Jessie.

"Bring the twerp out here," Jessie decided after a moment, "but keep him all tied up. I don't need to hear his mouth at a time like this."

James nodded just once and went back behind the curtain, meeting Ash's very angry gaze. The Pokémon master began unleashing muffled curses at the blue haired member of Team Rocket, none of which the older man understood.

"Oh hush," James rolled his eyes as he picked up the younger man, "I'm taking you to see your little twerpette of a wife. You should be thankful."

Ash replied with another muffled swear, but didn't bother to struggle against James' not surprisingly weak hold. He may not have been able to move, but so long as he was near Misty, Ash wasn't about to complain.

"Ash!"

The Pokémon master looked down at his wife, who was in obvious pain. He gave her a sympathetic look with his eyes, unable to do anything else due to his current predicament.

"Well look at that twerpette," Jessie chuckled, "your husband looks like he's a little…tied up at the moment!"

"Take that stupid tape off of his mouth!" Misty demanded, gripping at her stomach as she did so.

"Hey, you're lucky we brought him out here!" Jessie furrowed her brow.

"Yeah, well you're lucky that I'm in too much pain to…ah…" Misty sat up slightly, doubling over. Ash called out her name from behind the masking tape, but it came out as nothing more than a muffled noise.

"What's your problem now?" Jessie tried to sound aggravated, but the true worry she was feeling was beginning to break through in her voice.

"I…I just felt one of them move down lower into my stomach…" Misty shivered, feeling the spot to confirm her fear.

"Okay, I can't do this!" Jessie finally shrieked, jumping off the floor, "there is _no _chance that I'm going to deliver those kids! That was _not _part of the plan!" Hurrying towards the door, Jessie looked back at her counterparts and commanded, "Come on! Move it!"

"But Jessie, da' twoips!" Meowth gasped.

"We need to get the babies for the…" James began, but was quickly interrupted by Jessie.

"James, shut your mouth! You'll ruin everything! Just come _on!_"

James and Meowth looked at each other nervously, but soon followed after their female counterpart. Along the way, James harshly dropped Ash on the ground, causing the young man to cry out in pain.

"Ash!" Misty whimpered. Wincing in pain, she crawled over to Ash, gently caressing his face. Quickly shaking his head, Ash looked up at his wife, compassion still shining in his dark brown eyes. "I'm gonna' have to take this off," Misty tugged gently at the tape, "it'll hurt, but just for a second. Ready?"

Before Ash could even nod, Misty tore the tape off in a single motion. "OW!" Ash bellowed, the unpleasant tingling sensation that surrounded his mouth causing his eyes to water.

"I'm really sorry honey," Misty apologized, "but I had to…" She was interrupted by another shocking pain in her midsection, this one bad enough to prompt a little scream.

"Misty!" Ash tried to move closer to the pained red head, but it only resulted in him toppling over. "Ow! Stupid ropes!"

"C…Corsola!" Misty called weakly as she retrieved a poke ball from her belt. The pink and white coral Pokémon materialized before her trainer, looking back at the gym leader. Upon seeing Misty in such severe pain, Corsola squeaked fearfully and tried to comfort her. "N…not now Corsola," Misty cringed, "I'll be o…okay. For now you…you have to free A…Ash. Can you do that?"

"Cor…" Corsola sounded unsure at first, but she soon began to nod as a determined look overtook her face.

"Th…thank you," Misty was becoming flushed with exhaustion. "Use sp…ugh…use…" Misty was trying her best to order the attack, but at this point, the pain was becoming too much for her to handle. Frowning, Ash looked down at the frightened water type and knew he'd have to make the command _for _Misty.

"Corsola, use spike cannon on the rope!" Ash ordered.

"Corsola!" Corsola huffed, looking away from Ash.

"Corsola, you have to listen to me," Ash pleaded, "Misty is in too much pain to call the attack. You _know _you can trust me! Besides, the sooner you free me, the sooner I'll be able to help Misty."

The coral Pokémon looked back at her trainer, ensuring that this was alright. Misty gave Corsola a weak smile and a nod before flinching in pain.

"Cor!" Corsola's body began to glow a bright shade of white as a series of sharp points were fired off towards Ash. The Pokémon master closed his eyes, fearing that the attack would hurt. He never felt the brunt of the move, however, but rather the tightly constricted ropes shattering around him.

"Great job Corsola!" Ash cheered.

"Pika!" A strained voice called from the back.

"Ah, Pikachu!" Ash cried, looking over his shoulder. "Corsola, could you do for Pikachu what you just did for me?" Corsola nodded quickly before heading into the back room. Ash, meanwhile, kneeled down next to Misty, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and placing his other hand on her large belly.

"You'll be okay Misty," Ash hushed with a shaky voice, "it'll be alright." With his right hand pressed against her bump, Ash could feel the babies kicking wildly from within Misty. The feeling was one of which he would never get used to. "Sorry. Does that hurt?"

"N…no," Misty choked out, "surprisingly." Looking up at Ash with eyes that were dulled with pain, Misty offered him a weak smile and continued, "I think they know you're their Daddy."

"Pikapi! Pikachupi!"

Ash tore his happy face away from Misty to find Pikachu racing towards them, Corsola following closely behind.

"Hey buddy," Ash breathed as the electric type jumped into his arms. "Thanks so much, Corsola!"

"Cor," Corsola smiled before looking at Misty and once again becoming very concerned.

"It's okay…" Misty shakily reached for the poke ball that belonged to her dual type Pokémon. "C…Corsola…" The red and white sphere fell listlessly out of Misty's hand, rolling towards Ash's leg. The Pokémon master picked up the ball, smiling feebly at Misty as he did so.

"I got it," Ash assured. Holding out the sphere, he called, "Corsola, return!" A red light was emitted from the poke ball, which quickly surrounded Corsola and pulled the Pokémon back into the safety of her sphere.

"A…Ash…" Misty panted.

"What's wrong Mist?" Ash reached for her face.

"I…I can't get up…" Misty frowned, "it hurts…"

"I've got ya'," Ash lifted Misty up with surprising ease, Pikachu jumping up onto his head. "I'm gonna' take you to the hospital. It isn't far from here, so if I run it won't take too long."

Misty nodded just once before resting her head against Ash's chest. All of her energy was drained; she felt like she would never be able to move again.

"Hang on Misty," Ash looked down worriedly at his pained wife, "everything is going to be okay."

Misty wished she could believe that. And she was trying her best to hold on. Exhaustion was taking over, however, and before she knew it, everything went quiet and dark.

**XXX**

When Misty's eyes fluttered back open, she found herself in a hospital room, resting in a highly uncomfortable bed. Ash and Dr. Aaron, who must've been checking up on Misty, had their backs turned to the red head, and therefore hadn't seen her wake up.

"It's nothing more than a false alarm," Misty could overhear Dr. Aaron telling Ash, "everything is going to be just fine."

Misty raised a hand to her stomach, which was still burgeoning. A sense of great relief washed over the red head. She was still pregnant!

"But she was in so much pain…" Ash furrowed his brow.

"What she experienced was Braxton hicks, or "practice contractions" in easier terms," Dr. Aaron explained, "all they do is help to prepare the body for when the _real _birth happens. It'll probably happen a few more times before the big day."

"Are they always that bad?" Ash winced.

"No," the physician shook his head, "they were probably more painful because something caused them to be so powerful. It could've been too much strenuous activity, eating something too spicy…"

"That's it!" Ash interrupted, his face growing slightly pale. Noticing the confused look on the doctor's face, Ash clarified, "Team Rocket tricked us into thinking they were tea experts or something like that. I don't know. Either way, they slipped a whole bunch of spicy stuff into the tea, and Misty drank it."

"That would definitely be the cause of how severe the pain was," Dr. Aaron nodded.

"Then how come I felt one of the babies move down?" Misty finally decided to speak up. Ash and the doctor spun around, shocked to hear Misty's clear voice.

"Hey there Mist!" Ash approached her, gently brushing his hand down the length of her fiery red hair, "how are you feeling?"

"Better," Misty yawned a little, "but I still want to know why the baby moved down if I wasn't in labor. Is it okay?"

"Your baby is just fine," Dr. Aaron nodded. "I did an ultrasound while you were unconscious. It's the boy who moved down. Either way, that's normal. It's very common in a woman's first pregnancy for the baby to move down earlier than usual."

"Okay," Misty breathed. She began to rub her lower stomach, as though making sure that the baby was still there.

"You're perfectly healthy Misty," Dr. Aaron reassured, "but I'd like to keep you here overnight, just for observation."

"Okay," Misty replied yet again. That seemed to be the only word she could say at the moment. Once Dr. Aaron left the room, Ash moved a little closer to Misty and lightly gripped her shoulder.

"You alright?" Ash asked cautiously.

"Yes," Misty answered honestly as she moved her hand up on her belly.

"What are you doing?" Ash raised an eyebrow, "it's almost like you're searching for something."

"I'm just making sure they're both there," Misty sounded breathless as she continued touching her bump. Growing a little wide eyed, she gasped, "I can't find our little girl!"

"Misty, relax," Ash soothed as he moved her hand out of the way to place his own in the same spot. Pressing against the bulge, he moved his hand up slightly and smiled unconscientiously. "There she is. She's much higher up than our son at this point. And I also think she's asleep!"

"You're sure?" Misty shivered.

"Positive," Ash took Misty's hand and put it where his had just been. "Don't you feel her?"

Misty pushed down and breathed out with a heavy sigh, clearly relieved that she had found the unborn child. "Thank goodness."

"Where do you think she could've gone?" Ash chuckled. When Misty didn't join in, however, he became a little concerned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Team Rocket's tried to take our babies twice now," Misty mumbled. "Why do you think they want them so badly?"

"Probably just to make our lives miserable," Ash scoffed.

"Ash…" Misty whimpered, "I'm scared."

"Why are you scared angel?" Ash gently touched her cheek.

"I don't understand why they want our babies so badly," Misty shook her head as tears began to spill out of her eyes, "they're just innocent little things. They haven't even been born yet. And people are already putting them in such danger."

"Misty, you have to understand that I will _never _let anyone harm our children," Ash suddenly sounded very stern, "if anyone even attempts to lay a hand on them, they're going to be sorry."

"But…but…" Misty sobbed, burying her face in her hands.

"Come on Mist," Ash gently pushed her down and stroked her hair, willing the young woman to calm down. After a few minutes, Misty's weeping eased up, reduced to nothing but a few sniffles every now and then. "You've had a very long, stressful day. It isn't good for you in this condition. I think you should try and get some rest."

"Please don't leave me," Misty whimpered, reaching for Ash's hand.

"I wouldn't think of it," Ash soothed, returning the hold.

**XXX**

"Well, that was a disaster," Jessie scowled as she popped a chip into her mouth.

"Not necessarily," James followed suit with the salty treat, "we know now something that very few people seem to know."

"What's dat?" Meowth blinked.

"That the twerpette is having more than one little baby," James replied in a sing song voice.

"James _does _have a point," Jessie mused absent mindedly, "although I don't want to deal with the twerpette while she's still knocked up."

"She _was_ pretty annoying," Meowth agreed.

"Don't you think she would've had the kids by now?" James inquired.

"Hey, he's right!" Jessie cheered up, "if she was in that much pain before, then the twerpette _had_ to have had those two!"

"Hooray!" Meowth jumped up before thinking, "so…where do we find da' twoipette?"

"The one place where women go to have their babies," Jessie rolled her eyes, clearly exacerbated by Meowth's mindlessness, "the hospital."

**XXX**

Using their superior sneaking skills, the Team Rocket trio had managed to get into Cerulean City hospital through a series of vents. After climbing through the metal tubes for what seemed like hours on end, the three finally found the room where Misty was residing. The pretty red head was fast asleep in the bed, while Ash was snoozing with his head down on her pillow.

"How sweet," James chuckled deviously.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Jessie seethed quietly, "why does the twerpette still have a baby bump?"

James and Meowth focused on the gym leader's stomach, which was indeed still round and distended.

"How did she not have da' baby?" Meowth appeared shocked.

"Yeah, even after all the work we did!" James huffed.

"These twerps are still nothing but trouble!" Jessie growled, slamming her fists against the cover of the vent. After three forceful slams, the cover fell off and went crashing onto the floor.

"Move!" Jessie shrieked, shoving her male counterparts down the metal chute. She quickly followed after them, not caring that they were screaming like little girls the whole way down.

Pikachu, who had been sleeping on a chair in the corner of the room, was the first to wake up. Ash's head snapped up only a few seconds later, and Misty's eyes fluttered open not long after that.

"What was that?" Misty looked nervously at Ash.

"I don't know," Ash blinked before noticing the vent's cover on the ground.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu pointed at it with one of his little paws.

"Why is that on the floor?" Ash mumbled to himself as he got up and approached it.

"Be careful Ash," Misty trembled.

"Nothing is gonna' happen to me Mist," Ash laughed, "calm down."

"Pikachu…" Pikachu mumbled as he jumped onto the floor in order to sniff the metal cover.

"What's the matter buddy?" Ash looked down at Pikachu, "do you smell something?"

"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu growled, narrowing his beady black eyes.

"Team Rocket?" Ash repeated, Misty's body tensing at the name of the evil organization. "But how could they have been in here?" Ash folded his arms.

"Pika," Pikachu looked up at the open vent.

"See what I mean?" Misty trembled, "they're hell bent on stealing our babies! They'll do _anything _to get them!"

"Misty, they're not going to get the babies," Ash shook his head, "don't worry."

"But how do we know?" Misty wrapped her arms around herself.

"Pikachupi, pikachu!" Pikachu banged his chest proudly as a look of determination overtook his face.

"What is it Pikachu?" Misty quivered.

"Misty, Pikachu just said he's going to protect you," Ash smiled at the skittish red head, "he's going to do his part too."

"Pika," Pikachu nodded in conferment, climbing back up onto his chair and keeping his eyes locked on the vent.

"Pikachu," Misty smiled sweetly at the electric type, her voice becoming hindered as her throat tightened and tears filled her eyes, "thank you so much."

"Pikachu loves and cares about the babies too," Ash grinned as he put the vent's cover back on, "he and I will work as a team to protect you!"

"The two of you are so sweet," Misty rubbed the tears out of her eyes, "I couldn't have asked for two better protectors."

**XXX**

The next day, Dr. Aaron allowed Misty to leave the hospital, so long as she began following more strict guidelines and taking up some bed rest throughout the day.

"We may not have had a big issue this time," Dr. Aaron warned, "but in the future, we might not be so lucky."

"I understand," Misty smiled understandingly, "I'll be careful, promise."

"You don't have to worry about her," Ash chuckled heartily, "she's going to be under my _very _watchful eye."

And when Ash said she'd be under his very watchful eye, he wasn't joking. As soon as they got home (which came after a very lengthy trek in which Misty shrieked at every little noise she heard), he'd ushered her straight to bed and offered to get her something to eat.

"You can't cook," Misty deadpanned.

"I know that," Ash smirked, "but I can go out and get you something. Anything you want, Misty."

"I'm not hungry," Misty frowned.

"You're not?" Ash suddenly sounded very concerned. Misty shook her head to reinforce her point. "Do you feel sick?"

"No," Misty folded her hands together, "I just want to rest. That's all."

"Oh. Okay," Ash smiled again and turned towards the door, "I'll leave you alone, then."

"No!" Misty cried, quickly covering up her mouth. Ash looked over his shoulder and shot Misty a confused glance, to which she gave an apologetic little grin. "Sorry. It's just…I don't want to be alone."

"Why not?" Ash blinked.

"I'm…I'm afraid," Misty blushed heavily, resting a hand on her bulging stomach, "I know it sounds dumb, but I'm scared."

"Oh," Ash frowned, moving closer to the bed. "So, what you're saying is, you want me to stay with you?"

"Could you?" Misty asked sheepishly, the blush still resonating on her cheeks. Ash let out a low, husky laugh and crawled onto the bed, causing Misty to smile gingerly.

"You know that I would do anything for you," Ash whispered, pressing a hand against her belly. "If you want me to keep you company, then I will."

Misty smiled tearfully and wrapped her arms around Ash. He was so willing to protect her, to make her feel safe.

She had no reason to be afraid anymore.

* * *

><p><strong>Hehe, I tricked alot of people, didn't I? You thought this chapter would be the babies' big debut. Well you'll just have to wait a little while longer! Not too much now, though...<strong>

**So as of this update we're at 90 reviews, which is simply AMAZING. You guys seriously rock (which is why I worked so hard to update the story ^^) Let's see if this update can get it up to 100! I'll give the 100th reviwer a shout out in the next chapter if we get there.**

**Now, I'd love to stick around, but class starts in 7 minutes. And I have a quiz. Oh boy.**

**So, in the meantime, leave some nice reviews, comments, whatever! I can't wait to see what you guys think.**


	15. Daddy Dearest

**Look at this you guys. Another on schedule update! Proud of myself for that :P**

**I might have to slow down a little bit with the updates though. I'm here for another week and haven't had ANY time to write. Literally none. The institute I'm in gives the most homework (who would've thought sports communication would be so intense, eh?) but I don't think I have any for the next 2 days, and I only have one more night class this week, so I'll try to write a little more.**

**Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to this story's 100th reviewer, AshKetchumDarkSide! **

* * *

><p>Misty had had just about enough.<p>

She stood in the doorway to the living room, arms folded firmly as she watched Ash. The young master was sprawled across the couch, fast asleep and snoring rather loudly. Various bags of food lined the floor in front of the couch, and Pikachu, like his trainer, was snoozing as well, curled up on the arm rest behind Ash's messy raven head.

"Ash, wake up!" Misty finally yelled. Ash yawned and slowly opened his eyes, turning his gaze onto Misty. Her emerald eyes were caught in a glare, and her arms were folded over her large stomach.

"Hey," Ash murmured, stretching his arms out, "you okay?"

"Do I _look _okay to you?" Misty roared as she placed both hands on her burgeoning belly, "I'm blowing up like a Qwilfish! I can't sleep at night, so I'm exhausted, my back is _killing _me, and now my ankles are starting to swell up! So why don't you tell _me _how I'm doing?"

"Misty, calm down," Ash grumbled, sitting up slowly, "I think you're complaining too much."

That one _really _set Misty off. "I'm _complaining _too much? You do realize I'm having _your _babies, correct? And that it's not as easy as it looks?"

"I didn't say it looks easy," Ash shrugged slightly, "I just think you're blowing it out of proportion."

"I ought to punch you!" Misty screeched, her face beginning to burn as red as her hair, "you have absolutely _no _idea what I'm going through!"

"I guess not. But you sure know how to make me almost as miserable as you."

"You're a jerk, Ash! You know that? You're a real, freaking…"

"Ow," Ash interrupted whiningly, gently touching his stomach.

"Hey, don't interrupt me while I'm getting my frustration out!" Misty stormed, her face clouding over. Ash didn't have a reaction for her, however.

"Oww," he wailed a little louder, beginning to double over.

"Ash, quit it," Misty tried to keep her tone stern, but she was beginning to waver. _What is he trying to pull? _She thought bitingly.

"M…Misty, I'm serious," Ash moaned, "My stomach _really _hurts."

"Probably because you ate all that garbage!" Misty finally snapped again, pointing her finger at the junk food that fronted the bottom of the couch.

"NO Misty!" Ash finally looked up, the severe pain very evident on his face, "it REALLY hurts!" Observing his facial features, Misty finally backed off. He definitely wasn't lying. _Damn, _Misty groaned inwardly.

"Well, what does it feel like?"

"Like I'm being torn apart from the inside!" Ash yelped, curling up into a ball and lying back down.

"That's weird," Misty mumbled quietly to herself. She took another look at her pained husband before piping up, "I'm going to call Professor Oak. Maybe he'll know why you're acting like such a baby."

As Misty slowly made her way to the kitchen, Ash let out a little scream, and her heart jumped. _Okay, he's _really _not lying, _Misty frowned. Feeling increasingly awful for yelling at the poor master, Misty cursed herself for not being able to move any faster than her current pace. Finally making it to the kitchen, she grabbed the phone off the receiver and quickly dialed the professor's number. Biting her lip, Misty waited impatiently, fearing that Ash would die at any moment if Professor Oak didn't pick up. Fortunately, on the fourth ring, the older man appeared on the screen, causing Misty to let out a sigh of relief.

"Ah, hello there Misty," Professor Oak greeted warmly.

"Hi Professor," Misty frowned.

"Oh, is something wrong dear?" The professor's brow rose slightly, and a worried glint appeared in his eyes.

"Err, yes, that's actually why I called," Misty gave a little nod, "I think there's something wrong with Ash."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Well, he said his stomach _really _hurts. I think his exact words were like he was being ripped from the inside."

Professor Oak pondered this for a moment, and soon broke out into a little smile.

"Professor?" Misty blinked confusedly.

"I think I know what's wrong with him," Professor Oak mused with a little chuckle, "but I'll come over just to make sure."

"Um, okay…" Misty furrowed her brow, "thank you Professor." She hung the phone up and tried to stand up from the chair, but not with much success. She grunted and lowered herself again, grabbing at her heavy stomach. One of the babies kicked her good and hard, right near her left rib cage.

"Ow!" Misty hissed quietly. This seemed to wake up the other baby, who in turn began to pound Misty's insides along with its sibling. "Thanks guys," Misty mumbled unhappily, furrowing her brow deeply. She clutched the back of the chair and finally pulled herself up, albeit slowly and clumsily. Once she was sure of her footing, Misty made her way back to Ash, sitting next to him on the couch. He looked up slightly and saw her breathing out softly, rubbing her belly soothingly. The pain in his own stomach increased, and he winced again.

"Are you alright?" Misty turned to him.

Ash didn't respond. He sat up slightly, although still more hunched over than anything else. Gazing at Misty, he whispered, "Are _you _alright?"

"Huh? I'm fine. _You're _the one curled up in pain! All of a sudden you're concerned about _me?_"

"You're rubbing your stomach."

"Because the babies are kicking and I'm trying to calm them down. I do this every day, Ash."

"Why were you breathing like that, then?"

"Like what?"

"You were breathing…weird. Like you were in pain."

"They're kicking pretty hard," Misty rested her head on her shoulder, "that's why. But if you're really hurting as much as you say, we're not even in the same league."

Just then, the doorbell rang. Misty assumed it had to be Professor Oak, seeing as he lived only minutes away from Delia. She groaned, realizing she'd have to try and stand up again. It was even harder to do so this time, seeing as the couch was much softer than the chair she'd previously been sitting on.

"Misty, be careful," Ash warned through clenched teeth.

"Ash, I'll be _fine,_" Misty soothed, somewhat agitated. _His moods are starting to change almost as much as mine, _Misty thought begrudgingly.

Getting to her feet, Misty shuffled over to the front door, pulling it open as she pressed a hand against her back. Why did every part of her body have to be so sore? When she looked up, just as she expected, Professor Oak was standing on the doorstep, his mouth bending into a frown when he saw Misty.

"I'm okay," Misty waved her hand before pointing to her back, "this is completely normal."

Professor Oak smiled a little and nodded, "yes, of course. Now, where is that husband of yours?"

"On the couch. Please, come in Professor." Professor Oak walked through the doorframe, and Misty led the older man into the living room, where Ash was still rolled up in pain.

"Ah, hello there Ash!" Professor Oak greeted cheerily. Ash mumbled something inaudibly in response.

"Ash, come on," Misty rolled her eyes, "I understand you're in pain, but that's no way to greet someone, especially Professor Oak."

"Hello," Ash grumbled, finally freeing his face from the cushions. After that, however, he moaned and stuffed it back in.

"Lovely," Misty sighed under her breath.

"Ash," the Professor continued, moving closer to the couch, "could you tell me exactly where it hurts?" Ash rolled onto his back, clutching his stomach as his face scrunched up.

"My lower stomach. It _really _hurts, Professor."

"Misty said you told her it felt like you were being torn apart?"

"Pretty much. Or like someone's punching me. Either way, it's pretty bad. And my back is starting to hurt too." Professor Oak nodded and turned around to face Misty, a broad smile stretched across his face.

"Do you know what's wrong with him Professor?" Misty tilted her head slightly.

"Indeed, I do!"

"That's good," Misty breathed a sigh of relief, "what is it?"

The Professor chuckled again, before replying, "Sympathy pains."

"…what?" Misty blinked confusedly.

"Exactly what I said!" The Professor continued to laugh, "Sympathy pains!"

"Well, I heard that," Misty scratched her head, "but what _are _sympathy pains?"

"Can't you make them go away?" Ash moaned miserably.

"I'm afraid not," Professor Oak's giggles continued to flow, "here, may I have a seat? I'd be happy to explain what all of this is about."

"Please," Misty practically begged. She sat back down next to Ash, relieved to be off her swollen feet. Professor Oak, meanwhile, took a seat in a nearby armchair.

"You see," the older man began, "it's been studied that men can often suffer symptoms similar to their wives' when they're pregnant."

"What?" Misty blinked incredulously.

"Yeah, what?" Ash shot up, whining when the pain reminded him of its presence.

"There's something known as couvades," Professor Oak continued, "It's a human condition that's been studied by researchers for years. It has to do with the man's adaptive responses to what their partner is going through."

"So, what you're essentially saying is that Ash is having stomach pains because of _my _current condition?" Misty raised an eyebrow.

"That's right," Professor Oak nodded surely.

"That's messed up!" Ash cried, eyes narrowing, "I don't believe it!"

"It's a fact Ash," the Professor wagged his finger as he smirked, "you wouldn't believe all the research that's been done on it. In fact, it's even implied that men experience a decrease in testosterone."

"What's that?" Ash winced as he continued to hold his stomach.

"It's essentially your manliness," Misty gave the pained master a devious grin.

"No way. You're telling me the babies are killing my manhood?"

"I wouldn't say they're _killing _it," Professor Oak mused, "just lowering it. It'll return to normal eventually."

"When?" Ash inquired quickly.

"A few months after their birth."

"WHAT?" Ash jumped up, and nearly fell back down due to the pain, "I…I don't…_what?"_

"It's not necessarily a bad thing Ash," Professor Oak's eyes were still glimmering with amusement, "it's been suggested that this is especially brought on due to the fact that the man is used to being in charge and being able to take care of everything, but in this case, there's not much you can do."

Ash frowned and looked down sheepishly. Misty glanced over at the Pokémon master and felt her heart jolt slightly.

"Did that clear things up for you?" Professor Oak laughed, bringing Misty's attention back to him.

"Oh, yes," Misty smiled gently, "thank you Professor."

"Don't mention it!" The older man shook a haphazard hand as he stood up, "now, I should really be getting on my way. I'm supposed to be training Gary, but he's not exactly the fastest learner around. It's quite the chore to take the boy on."

"That's not surprising," Misty laughed softly.

"Take care Ash, Misty," Professor Oak nodded to both of them, "if you need anything else, don't hesitate to call! And tell Delia I said hello."

"Thank you," Misty grinned, "And I will."

Once the Professor had left, Ash was still looking fairly miserable. Misty continued to study him, knowing there just _had _to be a reason for Ash's sudden downtrodden state.

"Ashy, why don't you sit down?" Misty motioned towards the empty spot next to her on the couch. He obliged and took a seat next to the confused red head. She waited for Ash to say something, but several minutes passed in complete silence. Just as Misty was about to break it, Ash piped up first.

"I'm useless," he murmured sadly.

"What?" Misty leaned into him, "did you just say you're useless?"

"Yep," Ash replied emotionlessly, leaning back against the couch.

"No you're not," Misty wrapped her arms around Ash, "what would make you say that?"

"It's just like Professor Oak said," Ash sighed, "I've always been able to take care of you, no matter what. Whenever you've been sick, I've never left your side. I get you medicine, and good foods that would help you to feel better. Every time you've been hurt, I've been able to fix you up. Sometimes with the help of Brock, but I was still contributing. Now, you're always having pains, and discomfort, and there's _nothing _I can do to help you."

"Ash…"

"And it's my fault, too!" He cried, "You wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for me. _I'm_ the one who got you pregnant!" Ash's lip was now quivering, and Misty could've sworn his eyes were beginning to well up with tears.

"Are you having mood swings?" Misty asked blankly.

"Oh my Arceus I think I am," Ash moaned, rubbing his temples furiously.

"Ash," Misty murmured sweetly, "you _do _realize I _want _to be pregnant, correct?"

He looked up curiously, and saw Misty smiling softly. She pulled her arms off of him in order to wrap them around her swollen stomach, causing her grin to grow even fonder.

"But…all the pain…and the problems you have that other women don't have to deal with…"

"I don't care," Misty shook her head, and her tone was completely serious, "I can deal with all of this. I'd do _anything _for these babies and I haven't even met them yet! I love them so much Ash. And _you _gave them to me."

"Yeah…" Ash laughed lightly and sniffed, "I guess I did."

"It may be a bit of a struggle now," Misty continued, "but it'll all be worth it in the end. Don't you agree?"

"Yeah," Ash nodded, "one hundred percent."

"That's my Ashy," Misty cooed, leaning forward to kiss Ash on his lips. He giggled and kissed her back, pressing his palms against the sides of her rounded belly. As the two continued to kiss, one of the babies kicked harshly, causing Misty to gasp a little and Ash to withdraw his hands.

"I don't think they like us kissing," Ash chuckled warmly.

"Put your hands back!" Misty urged, grabbing at Ash's wrists. She pressed his hands against the bulge, and watched his eyes twinkle as the babies moved around from within her midsection. "I love this…" Misty murmured, her hands pushed atop Ash's.

"Which one do you think is kicking?" Ash asked without taking his eyes off of Misty's stomach.

"The boy," Misty responded without a second thought, "I'm almost certain he's the one who's always starting."

"What makes you say that?" Ash chuckled.

"Because he's _your _son," Misty poked at her husband's nose, giggling delightfully.

"Good point," Ash sighed lovingly, "I can't wait until they're born." As he continued to rub soothing circles on Misty's swollen tummy, his face fell a little, and Misty took notice.

"What's wrong honey?" She asked as she ran her fingers through his thick raven hair.

"Nothing really," Ash shook his head, "I was just kind of…thinking."

"About what?"

Ash sighed and sat up, looking directly into Misty's bright emerald eyes. "I almost wish that _I_ was the one who was pregnant." Misty continued to stare into Ash's eyes, searching for a trace of humor. But there was none.

"Are you joking?" Misty asked with a slight laugh. Ash's expression didn't change. "Ash, you can't be serious."

"I am," Ash whined slightly, "I know it's not overly comfortable, but I think it would probably feel cool. And then you wouldn't have to be suffering so much."

"That's…sweet I suppose," Misty scrunched up her nose in a way that Ash found completely adorable, "very short sighted, but sweet."

"And I mean every word of it," Ash poked at her nose.

"Do you?" Misty raised a wry eyebrow.

"Of course."

Misty smirked and shifted her eyes towards the side. She had just come up with a _brilliant _idea.

"Misty, why do you have that sneaky look on your face?" Ash frowned, his voice sounding very hesitant.

"Oh, no reason," Misty shook her head.

"Misty," Ash folded his arms.

"You'll see tomorrow," Misty rubbed his cheek, "I think you might like it."

Ash took in a deep breath and lightly shrugged his shoulders. He knew he probably shouldn't trust Misty, but he wasn't about to say anything out loud. Her hormones were not to be trusted.

**XXX**

"Ready for your surprise?"

"Af reafy af awll ebur be," Ash replied, finishing up the last mouthful of his breakfast.

"Ash, don't talk with your mouth full," Misty scolded the young man, "it isn't becoming of a gentleman."

"You sound like my Mom," Ash commented as he swallowed the food.

"Yeah, well someone needs to be around to keep you in check and she's out right now," Misty narrowed her eyes slightly, "now come on."

"Where are we going?" Ash sighed as he stood up.

"The living room," Misty responded simply, "I've got something to show you."

"A gift?" Ash grinned.

"I suppose you could call it that." Ash raised an eyebrow but continued to follow after Misty. She stopped in front of the couch and motioned at it with her head, keeping her arms folded against her body. "Take a seat, Ash."

Ash was still highly confused, more so now than ever. But he followed Misty's orders and sat down on the couch, looking up curiously at his wife. "What is it, Misty? Do you need to tell me something?"

"No," Misty innocently shook her head.

"Ask me something?" Ash tried.

"No. This has nothing to do with your opinion. Or me, for that matter."

"Okay," Ash furrowed his brow, "then what is it?"

"I just wanted to give you this," Misty moved her hands out from behind her back and revealed a tan colored weight attached to an equally tan strap.

"What the hell is that?" Ash blinked.

"A pregnancy pad," Misty responded simply. "You said you wanted to be pregnant? Well, here you go. Now you can see what it feels like."

"Uh…I'm not wearing that," Ash chuckled, looking Misty in the eyes. Much to his surprise, there was no amusement resonating in those bright emerald orbs. "Wait…Misty, are you being serious?"

"Completely," Misty nodded just once, tossing the weight at the Pokémon master.

"Misty," Ash laughed yet again as he examined the heavy object, "I am _not _doing this. I was just joking with you!"

"Really? Because that's not what you said yesterday."

_Damn, _Ash cursed inwardly. Clearing his throat, he looked back at Misty and continued, "This is insanity. I'm not doing this. Who actually goes this far for revenge?"

"This isn't revenge," Misty huffed, "it's you getting your request fulfilled."

"Okay, look honey," Ash growled, throwing the pad on the couch. Misty gasped slightly and recoiled, which caused Ash to take in a deep breath and relax himself. He certainly didn't want to terrify his poor wife. "I understand that you're upset, and uncomfortable, and all of that. I do. But don't you think this pad thing is taking it a little too far?"

Misty frowned and looked down at the floor.

"Misty?" Ash asked softly.

"It's not fair," Misty mumbled tearfully.

"What isn't fair?" Ash frowned. "That you're pregnant and I'm not?"

"N…no…" Misty sniffed. She was actually _crying _now. Biting his lip, Ash moved forward and enveloped Misty in a tight hug, rocking her back and forth.

"Tell me what's wrong Misty," Ash hushed, "come on."

Before Misty could respond, a loud _crash _sounded from outside, causing both Ash and Misty to jump.

"Wh…what was that?" Misty trembled, her green eyes flashing with fear.

"I don't know," Ash breathed. Shaking his head, he gathered all of the courage he could possibly find and announced, "But I'm going to find out."

"Ash…" Misty tried, her voice lowering to a whisper.

"Don't worry," Ash grinned, "you'll be fine. Just stay in here, okay? Don't go outside, or anywhere near the doors or windows."

Misty sucked in her breath and nodded very slowly and hesitantly. After summoning Pikachu, who had been lounging on the couch, Ash bit his lip and moved over to the front door, slowly pushing it open and slipping outside. He moved his eyes left to right, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Deciding everything was safe, Ash smiled softly to himself and turned around to go back inside. He was quickly stopped, however, when a strong arm wrapped around his neck while a hand was slapped over his mouth to keep him from shouting. Pikachu, meanwhile, was thrown to the ground as a heavy Plexiglas cage was dropped on top of the electric mouse. Gasping, Pikachu tried to electrocute the box, but it was no good. The glass was shock proof.

"Don't even bother yelling," the intruder whispered into Ash's ear, "it won't do you any good. In fact, it might just get you killed."

Ash instantly stopped struggling, although he kept the scowl on his face. Putting his life at stake was not an option: he would soon have his children to worry about.

"Now," the stranger continued, "I'm going to take my hand away. Remember, no screaming or running off. Or you'll be sorry."

The hand was taken off of Ash's mouth, but the arm around his neck remained. Ash grunted quietly, but otherwise didn't make any noise. "Who are you?" Ash demanded quietly. "And why are you here?"

"Who I am is for me to know, not you," his captor chuckled darkly, "although, if you want a name, I can tell you it's Alec."

"A pleasure," Ash bit acidly, "now _why_ are you here?"

"I was sent here," Alec replied simply.

"By who?" Ash growled.

Alec smirked deviously. "Your father."

* * *

><p><strong>I know, more bad stuff. But we need this! It may seem a little out of place right now, but you'll need this information for one of the sequels I'm planning, hehe.<strong>

**It's also meant to be a compare and contrast sort of thing. You can see how sweet and loving Ash is with Misty, and the story with Ash's father (whoever he may be, you'll find out eventually) is pretty different.**

**So look for the next update sometime next week. Until then, I'll try to write some more of the story while juggling pre college work (because you guys are all awesome and deserve more story!)**

**As always, thank you so much for reading, reviewing, all that jazz (do people still say that? Well, I'm a dancer and I like it, so I'm gonna say it.) Keep up the great work dear readers, it means a bunch!**


	16. Bad Relations

**I'm a mess you guys. This place I'm at is awful; the worst. The wifi here is incredibely choppy, and it seems that everytime I want to re-connect, I have to restart my computer. It's just a complete mess. More than likely will not be coming here for college in a year. But I bypassed it enough this morning to give you all the next chapter that you all deserve! So, enough of my babbling, on with the story!**

* * *

><p>"I…I don't know what you're talking about," Ash stammered, "I don't have a father."<p>

"Of course you do," Alec huffed, "everyone's got a father."

"Yeah, but I don't know mine," Ash snarled, "nor do I _want_ to. So that has nothing to do with why you're here."

"Yes it does," Alec tightened his grip around Ash's neck, causing the Pokémon master to grunt sharply. "Your father is my boss. I don't care whether you know him or not. Your Daddy issues are not my concern. I'm just here to do my job, and that's all."

"What the hell job could you possibly have?" Ash gasped, trying to get more air into his lungs.

"Politoed, water gun!"

As Alec opened his mouth to reply, he was cut off by that sharp command, his arm being forced off of Ash's neck as his body was flung backwards by the heavy stream of water.

"Misty!" Ash grew wide eyed as he spotted Misty leaning out of the wide open window. Her emerald eyes were narrowed as she glared at Alec, and Politoed was now standing on the grass, happily clapping his yellow hands together.

"Ash, hurry, get back inside!" Misty hissed through clenched teeth, her angry eyes switching quickly between Alec and Ash.

"What're you doing?" Ash cried, fear running through his veins. He felt too numb to move, and the fact was quickly agitating his red headed wife.

"Saving your butt," Misty growled, "now get up!"

Before Ash could scramble up, however, he was pulled down by a set of dark green vines, Alec chuckling as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"Excellent work, Tangrowth," Alec complimented his vine Pokémon, who was glaring down at Ash with its beady little eyes. Knowing that Ash wouldn't be getting up any time soon, Alec looked up at Misty, grinning deviously at the water type gym leader.

"Who…who are you?" Misty whimpered, backing away from the window.

"Come back pretty baby," Alec teased, "I'm not gonna' do anything to you."

"You tried to choke my husband," Misty called back from inside, "I'm pretty sure I have the right not to trust you."

"Really now?" Alec pulled himself up to the window, and Misty finally got a good look at his features. He looked fairly young, perhaps just a bit older than she was. His hair was a dark, chocolate brown, with a lone streak of black jetting through the left side. Alec's eyes were black and soulless, set on Misty with a deep purpose.

"Who are you?" Misty repeated, more strongly this time.

"Alec…" he answered slowly.

"I know your stupid name!" Misty thundered as she grabbed another poke ball off of her belt.

"Oh, do you mean my profession?" Alec inquired, gently tilting his head to the right.

"Yes," Misty seethed, her fingers gripping the red and white sphere even more tightly.

"Ah," Alec laughed quietly as he jumped through the window. Misty squeaked and continued moving backwards, until finally she ran into the couch. Groaning inwardly, she found herself _really _wishing that Delia hadn't gone to the market that morning. "You see, darling, I work for a little organization. You might have heard of it. See, we're called Team Rocket…"

Misty shrieked and tried to run as fast as she could. She _knew _she had a reason to be paranoid; it had just presented itself to her!

"Now now, where do you think you're going?"

Misty gasped when she realized she couldn't move anymore. She was frozen in one spot, her arms and legs stuck in position. In the time she had attempted to run off, Alec had recalled another one of his Pokémon, a Venomoth. The dual type was now using confusion, which was why Misty was covered in a bright pink light and left unable to move.

"L…let me go!" Misty cried.

"Why should I do that?" Alec breathed, "I'm not going to hurt you, you know."

"You keep saying that," Misty growled, "and I already said that I don't trust you!"

"Why not?" Alec grinned.

"Because…because you're part of Team Rocket! I know what they do, and I know not to trust any of them."

"You can trust me," Alec moved closer to Misty, "I'm here on a mission. Nothing more. I'm not here to harm you or your husband, so long as you don't give me a reason to. I can't disappoint my boss, you see."

"I don't care about your boss," Misty snapped.

"You should," Alec planted his hands on his hips, "he's your father in law."

"E…excuse me?" Misty furrowed her brow.

"My boss," Alec repeated, "is your husband's father. Henceforth, he is your family. You don't want to hurt him, now do you?"

"My husband doesn't know who his father is," Misty tried to struggle against the confusion. It was no use.

"He does now," Alec's smirk grew even larger, "I had the pleasure of breaking the news to him. And now to you! So, what do you say? How about we just do what I came here to do, huh? It'll make your life a whole lot easier; mine as well."

"I already know what you want," Misty glared at Alec, "and the answer is _no_."

"Ah, yes, I forgot those two imbeciles went after you already," Alec sighed, "fools. They are truly the embodiment of failure."

"I think you mean those _four _imbeciles," Misty narrowed her eyes, "five if you count that stupid Meowth."

"I beg your pardon?" Alec's demeanor suddenly changed, switching instead to a state of curiosity.

"I've been through this twice already!" Misty shouted, her anger flaring. "You must be an idiot to think that I don't know what you want."

"A Meowth…" Alec mused, turning away from Misty in deep thought. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide, and a displeased scowl appeared on his face. "Those three. The boss certainly won't be delighted when he hears about _that_ uncharted endeavor."

"Let me go!" Misty barked, still trying to move past the attack.

"Not until I get my hands on those babies," Alec deadpanned, his eyes dulling over once again.

Misty was about to scream yet again, but something about Alec's threat made her stop and think. _He said babies, _Misty thought carefully, _multiple…wait. _

"I'm only having one baby," Misty bit through ground teeth.

"You think you're an excellent liar don't you?" Alec chuckled after a tense silence.

"I…I'm not lying," Misty could feel all of the color draining from her face.

"Let's be honest here, sweetheart," Alec's voice curled, making Misty want to punch him all the more, "you've been keeping this little secret from the world since the day you found out. But I know better. I'm not an elite agent for nothing."

"How…how did you know?" Misty choked out.

"I have my ways," Alec murmured, moving even closer to Misty, "now, I'll just take them from you, and…"

"You aren't getting my babies," one of Misty's eyebrows twitched as she interrupted, "they aren't yours to take. And they're not ready to be born yet."

"It doesn't matter if they're ready or not," Alec smirked, "I'll get them out regardless."

"What?" Misty shrieked, her heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her head.

"Venomoth, stop the confusion now," Alec ordered. The dual type Pokémon relaxed itself, and the bright pink glow that surrounded Misty quickly disappeared. Feeling quite weak, Misty fell to her knees and winced. She was convinced she would never be able to move again.

"Now," Alec grinned as he moved closer to Misty, "to finish up this mission…" Alec gently gripped Misty's shoulders and flipped her onto her back. Growling, Misty used her arms to cover up her engorged stomach, which caused Alec to laugh. "That won't do you much good, beautiful."

"Shut up," Misty seethed, her emerald eyes burning.

Humming quietly to himself, Alec reached into his black jacket and pulled out something that caused Misty to grow wide eyed and panicked.

A scalpel.

"Wh…what is that for?" Misty breathed, her voice quickly becoming lost in her tightened throat. She had a feeling she knew what it was for, but being so afraid, she couldn't help but to ask the question.

"Why, to get the babies out, of course," Alec's smile was making Misty want to scream. She couldn't understand how someone could be _so _heartless as to even _think_ of harming two little babies. Misty had never taken Team Rocket seriously before then. But now? They downright terrified her.

"Try not to squirm;" Alec's low voice floated into Misty's ear, "it'll hurt much more if you do."

Grabbing at her wrists, Alec threw Misty's arms back and pinned them down to the floor using two metal clamps he'd also had stored in his jacket. She whimpered quietly as Alec pulled back her shirt. Misty wanted so badly to scream and cry, but it would do her no good. Ash was being held down, and Pikachu was incapacitated as well.

"Don't…move…" Alec warned yet again as the razor brushed against Misty's skin.

"Buizel, use water gun!"

A stream of water hit Alec in the wrist, causing him to let go of the scalpel. Misty gasped and looked up, shocked to find _Ash_ climbing through the front window!

"Ash!" Misty shrieked, her body trembling with fear.

"It's okay," Ash hushed, until he noticed Alec moving for the blade. "Oh no you don't! Buizel, ice punch!"

"Bui bui!" The water type raced forward with a glowing blue paw, which made contact with Alec's side. In an instant, the operative's lower body was encased in a block of ice, although Buizel made sure to stop before it went all the way up over his head.

"Great work Buizel," Ash sighed as he walked over towards the sharp object. He felt a little more calm now, knowing that the ice surrounding Alec wouldn't melt for awhile. Picking up the scalpel, Ash examined the knife for a short second before chucking it out the window, letting out a satisfied huff as it went flying.

"Ash…" Misty tried again, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Misty, you have to get out of here," Ash interrupted, his voice still composed.

"Where am I supposed to go?" Misty whispered. As Ash was about to answer, Alec's menaichal laughter broke through the air, causing Ash to growl and look down at the villain.

"How cute," Alec smirked, "just because you froze me up, you think I won't be able to do what I intended."

"I'm pretty sure you doing _anything _is impossible," Ash spat. The tone of his voice made Misty shudder even more. She wasn't sure if she had _ever _heard Ash that angry before. Not even in the previous two incidents with Team Rocket. Clearly, his tranquil demeanor from just moments ago was only a front.

"Oh, you think so?" Alec smirked. "Venomoth, use psybeam!"

"Vena!" The bug type fired a colorful ray of light towards Ash, who gasped and jumped down to the ground. Looking up at a terrified Misty, Ash mouthed the words _Professor Oak's lab._

"What…?" Misty murmured before understanding what he'd meant.

"You'll never get me," Ash snarled at Alec, hoping to distract the member of Team Rocket. "Buizel, aqua jet on Venomoth!"

As the two Pokémon tangled in a fierce battle, Misty scrambled clumsily to her feet and ran to the door. Unfortunately for her, it was locked, and the key was underneath the mat. Bending over was a near impossible task for the heavily pregnant gym leader, but she _knew _she couldn't give up. Lowering herself down to the ground, Misty lifted up the doormat and felt around for the key. Eventually laying her fingers on it, Misty smiled victoriously and snatched the metallic object, gripping it tightly in her palm.

Jamming it into the lock, Misty twisted the key and cheered inwardly when she heard the little _click. _Pushing the door open, Misty hurried outside and stopped right in front of the porch steps, blinking confusedly at the sight before her.

Alec's Tangrowth was lying on the ground, unconscious. Pikachu, however, was still stuck inside the shock proof box.

"Pikachu, why didn't Ash get you out?" Misty gasped.

"Pikapi pika pi," Pikachu answered, not sounding at all upset.

"Let's go, you're gonna' come with me," Misty smiled weakly, kneeling down in front of the cage. She lifted it up, causing Pikachu to squeak happily and jump into her arms. "No problem Pikachu!" Misty giggled as Pikachu ran his rough tongue over her cheek. "I'm just happy that your safe."

Back inside the house, Buizel was still battling against Venomoth, Ash quickly growing unsure of what to do. No matter how hard Buizel tried, and how clever the strategies Ash came up, Alec's dual type Pokémon would not go down.

"Ah, free at last."

Ash gasped when he saw Alec stretching out his thawed limbs, a puddle of melted ice beneath his body.

"But…But I…" Ash stammered, unsure of what to say.

"Don't worry now, Pokémon master," Alec smiled, all of the evil shining through in a fashion that made Ash's blood boil. "I was going to get out sooner or later. And I must say, I'm bored of dealing with you."

Ash's mouth twisted into a frown as Alec motioned towards Venmoth.

"Vena!" Venomoth nodded as it sped out of the still open door, greatly alarming Ash and Buizel. The half bug type set its large eyes on Misty, who was trying to get away with Pikachu.

"Venomoth, confusion," Alec sighed tiredly. The violet colored Pokémon nodded and concentrated carefully, soon enshrouding Misty's body in the pink light once again. "You really should stop trying to get away," Alec brushed back his dark brown hair as he withdrew a poke ball, recalling his knocked out Tangrowth.

"Hey, you can't…!" Ash was about to reach for Alec, but the pink light was soon spread onto his and Buizel's own bodies, freezing the two in their current positions.

"You're all so bothersome," Alec exhaled noisily as he and Venomoth moved closer to Misty.

_That Venomoth must be at a really high level if it can trap both of us in confusion at the same time, _Ash thought scathingly, _this is bad._

"You can't move at all, can you Buizel?" Ash tried.

"Bui," Buizel frowned.

"Now, that's enough out of you," Alec scolded as he planted himself in front of Misty. "I'm going to get those babies out of you, and that's that. Quit trying to fight it."

"And how's that possible?" Misty lashed out at the villain, Pikachu scowling at him from her arms, "your little weapon got thrown away."

"Really now?" Alec reached back into his coat, revealing yet another scalpel, "you didn't think I would bring a _spare? _I'm not stupid, you know."

Misty's heart dropped at the sight of the knife. She was done. If there was one thing Misty absolutely _hated, _it was giving up. But she didn't see much else of a choice in this situation. All she knew was at this point, she had failed as a gym leader, a person, and most importantly, a mother.

"Alec!"

Misty gasped softly and raised her eyes. That wasn't Ash's voice, she knew that for sure. It was coming from up in the sky, and it was full of such strength and anger that even Alec looked shaken.

"What are you doing here?" Alec murmured, his voice full of shock.

"I'm here to stop you," a Charizard swooped down, carrying a man on his back. He leapt off and approached Alec, hitting him lightly in the wrist so that the scalpel fell lazily towards the ground. Huffing, the older man grabbed Alec's wrists and locked them together with a pair of high tech handcuffs, glaring at the younger operative all the while.

"Why would you foil the boss's plan?" Alec hissed.

"Because I don't approve of them," the older man replied bitingly.

Misty cautiously eyed the man holding onto Alec. He wore a long jacket, a hat, and a scarf that covered the lower half of his face. Looking more closely, Misty noticed a red letter 'R' sewn onto the right breast of the older man's jacket. So he too was a member of Team Rocket! But…why was he stopping Alec then?

"Tell Venomoth to let them go," the older agent ordered, "I'm bringing you back to headquarters."

"Yeah?" Alec huffed. "And how will you explain this to the boss? I will _not _have this failure held over my head. It was all your doing."

"That it was," the older man nodded, "and I will explain everything to him. Now, do as I asked."

"Venomoth," Alec called gruffly and begrudgingly, "release them."

"Vena…" Venomoth sighed sadly, relaxing its small body. Instantly, the pink hue surrounding Ash, Misty, Pikachu, and Buizel disappeared, but the four still remained perfectly still.

The dual type Pokémon floated over to its master, who was being pushed onto Charizard's back by the older, secretive agent. Looking back over his shoulder, he approached Misty, causing her to shriek in fear, and Ash to move forward protectively.

"It's alright," the older man assured, standing right in front of Misty. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he added, "I'm not going to hurt you. Or them." He looked down at her belly and pressed a delicate hand against it. Both of the babies kicked simultaneously, earning a hidden grin from the secret agent. Looking back up at Misty, he gave a slight nod, the red headed gym leader staring directly into his silver eyes.

Without another word, he turned on a heel and marched away, climbing back atop Charizard and flying away just as quickly as he'd arrived.

"Misty!" Ash called, running up to his wife. She was still unmoving, staring up into the sky where the Charizard had just been. "Misty…"

The gym leader breathed out softly and looked back down into Ash's warm, dark brown eyes. She didn't know why, but for some reason, it felt almost the same as staring into the older agent's steely silver ones.

"Misty, answer me," Ash whimpered, grabbing at her shoulders.

"I'm fine," Misty answered, her face remaining expressionless.

"Are you sure?" Ash trembled.

"Yes," Misty responded. She still wasn't showing any emotion.

"Misty," Ash sighed. Pikachu squeaked softly and jumped onto Ash's shoulder, nuzzling against the master's head. Still frowning, Ash pulled Misty into a hug, holding her as tightly as he possibly could.

"How'd you get out?" Misty finally asked.

"Get out of where?" Ash pulled back slightly, although he kept his arms wrapped around Misty's body.

"Tangrowth's hold," Misty whispered, "Pikachu was in that box and everything. How'd you get out?"

"I was able to move my hands a bit and get a poke ball off my belt," Ash looked down at her with caring eyes, "fortunately, it was Buizel's. He helped me to knock out Tangrowth and to get back in the house." Misty nodded, but said nothing else. "Are you _sure_ you're okay?" Ash asked worriedly.

"As long as our babies are okay," Misty murmured after a moment of thought, "then _I'm_ okay."

**XXX**

"I don't understand why you're going against the boss like this."

The older operative glanced over his shoulder, giving Alec a disapproving glare.

"Because he was wrong, Alec. The boss is _not _the be all and end all of everything. In this case, he was _very_ wrong."

"And why was that?" Alec scowled.

"I…can't say," the mysterious agent growled, looking away from his younger counterpart.

"You know, you and the boss have been quite the source of friction lately," Alec noted coolly, his black eyes narrowing at the thought, "why would that be? A disagreement, perhaps? A falling out?"

"You don't know, Alec," the older operative warned.

"Don't know what?" Alec kept his eyes narrowed. "Try me, Shane."

Growling, Shane grabbed onto his hat and whipped it off to the side, revealing his messy, pitch black tresses.

"Giovanni is not who he says he is," Shane seethed quietly. "You don't know who he really is, or what he's really capable of. And _that's_ my problem with him."

* * *

><p><strong>So there you have it. Good material for one of my planned sequels to this story. Hooray!<strong>

**I'm trying to type this as quickly as I can because while I was writing up the top author's note, my internet went out. Again. Man this place is the WORST! Plus I have class in about 10 minutes, so I've gotta hurry.**

**Anyway, I still want to thank you guys for all of the suppourt. It's really awesome that people like this story enough to read and comment, so thanks a bunch.**

**I know my updates usually come on Mondays and Thursdays, and I will try to keep that up. However, we have a field trip early Thursday morning, so I'll have to see how that goes. It might just have to go up later in the day. We'll see.**

**Again, thanks so much for reading! Keep on reviewing, being awesome, etc. And I'll see you all next time!**


	17. Our Time is Here

**I'm early! Woohoo!**

**Okay, so I decided that I couldn't make you guys wait for this chapter. It's a pretty big one. But I have to leave at 5:30 tomorrow morning (we're getting a tour of my favorite baseball team's stadium and then staying for the game!) and I don't know when I'll be back. Either way, I'll probably be _exhausted _and incapacitated. So, earlier is better than never!**

* * *

><p>"This is the stupidest idea ever."<p>

Ash was pacing the floor in the hallway, arms folded and frow burrowed. Scott watched the young master march back and forth nervously, sighing sadly at the man's actions. He did feel quite bad for the trainer, however.

"I know Ash, and I'm deeply sorry for it. But I'm sure she'll be fine. Misty's not due for another three weeks."

"So what?" Ash cried quietly, stopping in his tracks, "you realize how many problems she's had, don't you? All those…fake contractions? I'm _terrified _Scott!" He frowned desperately, eyes large with fear.

"I know you are, "Scott sighed, "but don't worry. I've enlisted for your doctor to be around while we're here. And I'll also make sure that Misty doesn't leave the hotel."

"How am I supposed to focus on these battles?" Ash grumbled, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"Just think of Misty," Scott tried, "she wants you to do your best, and not worry about her so much. She's really been stressing that the past few months," Scott smirked now, his sunglasses slipping down his nose.

"I guess you're right," Ash gave a single nod, "but I still don't like it."

"You've made that very clear. I'm sorry, Ash. But sometimes the life of a Pokémon master can be very intrusive."

Ash breathed out but gave another nod.

"Is that all?" Scott asked softly.

"Yes."

"Alright then," Scott smiled and clapped Ash on the shoulder, "good night Ash."

"Night Scott," Ash mumbled as Scott turned to go into his room. Ash spun around and slipped the room key into the door, pulling it out quickly so that the sensor flashed green, allowing him entrance into his and Misty's hotel room.

The raven haired master made sure to enter the room as quietly as possible; being fairly certain that Misty was fast asleep. Just as he suspected, she was lying on her side, eyes closed with one hand on her swollen stomach. Misty was _very _pregnant, and even though she was asleep, she didn't look too comfortable.

Shuffling forward carefully, Ash tried to breathe slowly as he kept his eyes locked on Misty. He was so busy staring at the red head, however, that he walked right into the TV stand, causing it to shake viciously, and him to jump back, yelping silently as he held his knee.

Groaning, Misty's eyes fluttered open, and she found herself staring at Ash, who was hopping around in clear pain.

"Ashy?" Misty whispered quietly, "Are you okay?"

Ash turned back to the red head, and sighed sadly, "yeah, I just ran into the stand here. I'm really sorry I woke you up honey."

"It's fine. I wasn't really asleep."

Ash breathed out gently, feeling slightly lost. For the past few days, Misty had been acting unusually calm. He was no longer the subject of her crazy mood swings, and she wasn't eating as much as she had before. In fact, all she'd been doing as of late was sitting around, mindlessly rubbing her stomach in an effort to soothe the fussy babies inside of her. And the abnormal tranquility Misty had been presenting was somewhat scaring Ash.

"Where's Pikachu?" Ash moved closer to Misty. She nodded over towards the couch, where the electric type was curled up in a ball as he snoozed away. Ash giggled quietly to himself. Couches had always been a favorite napping spot of Pikachu's.

"Oh," Misty gasped suddenly and grabbed at her stomach.

"Are you okay Mist?" Ash grew wide eyed and practically jumped on the bed. Misty groaned and tried to sit up. Ash walked around the bed to get to Misty's other side; the side that was closer to the edge. Wrapping one of his strong arms around her back, Ash helped his fragile wife sit up. Feeling how tense his body was, Misty looked over and gave the young man a tired smile in order to assure him she was okay.

"Don't worry Ash," she murmured softly, "I'm fine. The twins are just _so _restless. They do _not _like to sleep." Ash returned Misty's little smile, and he gently patted her impressive midsection.

"You two are a little naughty, huh?" Ash chuckled, "come on now, why don't you take a nap?" His suggestion was met with a kick, one strong enough to make Misty wince. "You sure you're okay?" Ash raised a nervous eyebrow.

"Positive," Misty bit her lip, trying to hide her insecurities. It seemed to work, as Ash showed her another waning smile and made to stand up. With that, however, Misty decided she wasn't happy. She didn't want Ash to go _anywhere. _She wanted to be near him. "But my back is really starting to hurt," Misty frowned. It wasn't a lie. This little backache had been lingering for about two hours now.

"Oh," Ash quickly kneeled down again and began to rub Misty's back. She grinned appreciatively. "Do you want to lie down?" Ash inquired, "Maybe that will help."

"I tried that before, you saw me," Misty shook her head; "I can't lie on my back. It hurts too much for that, not to mention that it feels like the babies are crushing me from the inside. Lying on my side only makes it worse."

"Maybe you should try sitting up," Ash mused, "the book _did _saw moving around sometimes helps more than lying down."

"I'll try anything," Misty sighed, rubbing her belly again.

Ash wrapped an arm around Misty's stomach and helped her to stand up. She grunted once she was on her feet, and Ash breathed out sharply.

"Sorry," Misty apologized heart fully, keeping her eyes closed.

"Don't be," Ash reassured, giving her belly a gentle squeeze. Misty tried to shake herself free from Ash, who in turn blinked but backed away slightly. He knew this was just typical Misty; trying to be independent no matter how much pain she was in. He couldn't help but to smile at his wife's still present resiliency.

"Where am I supposed to walk to?" Misty asked Ash curiously.

"Uh…I'm not sure," Ash rubbed the back of his neck, "you could always just pace back and forth."

"No," Misty groaned, clearly finding the idea to be stupid.

"I don't want you going anywhere too far," Ash frowned.

"I'm so sick of this," Misty grumbled as she looked down. Ash's heart became plagued with immense guilt. He felt so bad for the gym leader, and there was nothing he could really do for her.

"Come here angel," Ash tugged at her hand and pulled her towards the couch. He sat down, and when Misty went to take a seat next to him, Ash quickly interrupted the move. "No Misty."

"What, I can't sit down?" Misty stormed.

"You can," Ash chuckled slightly. He couldn't help but to feel relieved that Misty was finally showing her true colors again. "But I want you to sit here," he patted his lap with a gentle smile.

"No," Misty responded quickly.

"Why not?"

"I know you like it when I sit on your lap, and it's very sweet of you to offer it," Misty looked simply miserable, "but right now, I'll crush you. I just weigh too much."

"You're not going to crush me," Ash smirked, "come on Mist."

"Ash…" Misty sighed. But before she could protest any further, Ash pulled her down onto his legs. She was heavier than usual, but that was to be expected. It certainly wasn't enough to deter Ash, however.

"There," Ash beamed when Misty looked down at him, "perfect!"

"No I'm not," Misty sulked.

"Yes you are," Ash pressed his hands against Misty's stomach, his eyes sparkling; "you'll always be perfect to me, Mist. No matter what."

"Thanks," Misty blushed, misery still swirling around her brain.

"Hey, Mist?" Ash asked hesitantly after a few moments of silence.

"What is it Ash?" Misty breathed, looking down at her now concerned husband.

"Do…are you superstitious?" Ash inquired.

"No," Misty huffed, "I kind of find stuff like that to be stupid."

"How about coincidences?" Ash tried.

"Why are you asking?" Misty sighed, giving Ash an incredulous look.

"Well, the Sevii Islands are made up of a chain of islands…" Ash began.

"Yes, we all knew that Ash," Misty smirked.

"Alright," Ash blushed slightly, "but don't you find it…odd…that the island we're on now is Birth Island?" Misty gave Ash a blank stare, to which he reiterated, "_Birth. _Come on, Mist, use your head."

Growling lowly, Misty smacked Ash in the back of the head, causing him to let out a high pitched yelp. "I know what you're getting at, Ash. And no, I don't find it odd."

"Really?" Ash grimaced.

"Of course not," Misty rolled her eyes, "it's nothing but a coincidence. Just relax, okay sweetheart?"

"Alright," Ash sighed, resting his cheek against Misty's back. As he slowly rocked her back and forth, the babies jumped back to life, once again pounding Misty's insides with their excitable movements.

"Ow…" Misty hissed, grabbing at her stomach.

"Are you okay?" Ash frowned, brushing some orange strands away from Misty's dark green eyes.

"Uh…just sore is all…" Misty grimaced, "they won't relax. Not even for a minute. It kinda' hurts…"

"They're just getting some exercise is all," Ash gave Misty a little squeeze, "nothing to worry about."

"But…" Misty looked down, tears beginning to fall out of her dulled orbs. A drop of water fell on Ash's arm, alerting the young man of his wife's upset state.

"Misty," Ash cooed, wrapping his arms around her.

"Ash I can't take it anymore," Misty sniffed as she could feel more tears threatening. "I'm in so much pain, I can barely move or sleep…I just want it to be over with, Ash."

"I know you do," Ash brushed his fingers over her hand, "but it'll be over soon. And then we'll have our little babies!" Misty didn't respond. The tears began to fall from her cheeks, and she cried silently. "Misty, honey, please don't cry." Ash hugged her again and began to kiss up her arm, hoping to soothe the young woman.

"I'm tired," Misty whimpered after a few minutes.

"Me too," Ash agreed as he rubbed Misty's back, "I think we should both go to bed." Ash lifted Misty up in a bridal style and carried her over to the bed. Putting her down, Ash stripped off his jeans and shoes so he remained in only his shirt and boxers. Climbing into bed next to Misty, he kissed her cheek and held her close to him.

"Good night Misty," Ash kissed her some more before falling asleep.

"Night," Misty murmured, although she didn't follow Ash's actions. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. The pain in her back was growing too great to bear.

**XXX**

If Misty had to guess, she would assume that she'd gotten about two hours of sleep in total. It was all on and off, only for about twenty to thirty minutes at a time. By eight o clock, Ash was awake and pulling himself out of bed, preparing to get ready for the battle he had that day.

"Ash…" Misty squeaked, her eyes half closed in exhaustion.

"I have to go sweetheart," Ash whispered, brushing his fingers against her cheek.

"No," was all Misty could say as she touched Ash's hand, her own fingers trembling.

"Are you alright Misty?" Ash asked worriedly as his eyes clouded over. "You're not in pain or anything, are you?"

Misty narrowed her eyes, furious with herself. She couldn't let Ash think she was so weak! That was completely degrading to her character.

"I'm fine," Misty grumbled, taking her hand away from Ash's.

"Are you sure?" Ash frowned.

"Positive," Misty growled, "don't worry about me."

"Alright," Ash sighed. He wasn't so sure he could trust Misty, but pushing his luck was out of the question. "I'm going to make sure Brock keeps a close eye on you while I'm gone."

"You mean I can't come to your battle?" Misty sat up, a frown appearing on her face.

"No," Ash answered as though it were obvious, "its way too dangerous."

"But Ash…" Misty pouted.

"It'll be on TV," Ash tried as he pulled his shirt on, "you can stay right there and watch the battle."

"Ash…"

"Misty, you shouldn't have even come with us," Ash sighed, "I'm so nervous about what might happen to you."

"Nothing will happen to me," Misty rolled her eyes, "quit worrying."

"Just…stay here," Ash murmured while putting his pants and sneakers back on, "I'll be back later, okay?"

"Fine," Misty grumbled, refusing to make eye contact with her flustered husband. As Ash walked out of the room, Misty kept her head against the bed's backboard and listened intently to the noises coming from outside in the hallway. She could hear Ash knocking on Scott's door, Scott yelling at Ash to hold on, the sound of Scott's door opening, and finally the two men shuffling down the hallway.

_They're gone, _Misty thought to herself, grinning foolishly as she slowly and clumsily pulled herself out of bed. Misty locked her eyes on the closet, which was only a few feet away. For a woman nearly nine months pregnant with twins, however, it was going to feel like a never ending journey.

Groaning, Misty began to move towards the closet, and grimaced when she found herself _waddling. _Waddling, like a damn Psyduck! Misty growled lowly to herself but continued the trek, feeling rather pleased that Ash wasn't around to see this.

She got dressed very slowly, trying to move as quickly as she could. Once finished, Misty continued to smirk as she walked out of the room and up to Brock's door, heartily knocking in hopes of waking up the Pokémon doctor.

"Come on Brock," Misty grumbled to herself as she folded her arms. It took about a minute, but Brock eventually came to the door, still wearing his tank top and boxers that he used as pajamas.

"Huh?" Brock yawned as he rubbed his eyes, "what is it, Misty? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Misty furrowed her brow slightly, "but come on."

"Come on?" Brock repeated, raising a curious eyebrow. "Why? Where are we going? To eat?"

"No, I'm not hungry," Misty shook her head.

"There's a shock," Brock chuckled. Misty growled deeply and stomped on Brock's foot. "OW!"

"You're not funny," Misty scowled.

"Sorry," Brock sighed as he pulled his shoulders back. "So if you're not hungry, where are you in such a rush to go to?"

"The stadium," Misty replied brightly, "I want to go see Ash's battle."

"No," Brock responded immediately.

"Why not?" Misty sulked.

"I've been given _very _strict orders to watch after you," Brock raised his hands in protection, "I'm certainly not about to break them."

"But…I don't want to be stuck in here anymore," Misty frowned. She knew breaking down Brock wouldn't be so hard as long as she brought out the charm.

"Misty…" Brock groaned, clearly trying to avoid looking at Misty's persuasive pout.

"It'll be fine," Misty interrupted, her emerald eyes shining with hope, "I feel good, Brock. Really I do! Besides, once the babies are actually _born, _I'll hardly have any time to go watch Ash battle in person! This could be the last time I get to do this for a _long _time, Brock."

The Pokémon doctor let out another long sigh, this time looking Misty in the eyes. She smiled sweetly at the older man, knowing how close he was to cracking.

"Oh…alright," Brock finally relented, causing Misty to let out a happy cheer. "But not a WORD about it to Ash, alright? If he finds out, he'll tear my head off."

"Understood," Misty nodded as she squared out her shoulders, "he'll never know."

**XXX**

The weather on the Sevii Islands was something Misty greatly appreciated.

She'd never considered herself a winter, or even fall person. She hated cold weather, hated the snow, and hated the bitter wind. Now that it was December, winter was in full swing, and back in Kanto, Misty couldn't go outside without her hat, gloves, and heavy wool pea coat.

But here in the tropics, Misty didn't have to deal with such problems. It felt like summer all the time. So, despite being in the early stages of the winter months, Misty was able to walk around in a shirt and shorts. _This_ was the kind of life she craved.

"We're dead, we're dead, we're dead…"

"Would you quit worrying Brock?" Misty narrowed her eyes as she glanced at the Pokémon doctor, "we'll be fine."

"If Ash sees me…with you…" Brock groaned as he pulled at his dark brown tresses, "I'm in _so _much trouble."

"So he's not going to see you," Misty smiled as she let her hand linger on her very pregnant belly, "just relax. Okay Brock?"

Much to her surprise, Brock didn't say anything after that. And the first half hour of the tournament went very well. By the end of the second battle, however, Misty was experiencing some discomfort in her midsection. The back ache she had been suffering from the night before had returned with a vengeance. It was now spreading all the way up towards her shoulders, and all the way down to her ankles.

"Ugh…" Misty whimpered, pressing a hand against her sore back.

"You alright?" Brock glanced at Misty.

"Y…yeah, just fine," Misty smiled weakly at the Pokémon doctor, "don't worry."

Another fifteen minutes passed, and the pain only became worse. Very soon, Misty began to feel like something from within her was being torn apart. While Brock wasn't looking, she doubled over and hissed quietly, trying her best to get the pain to pass.

Before Misty knew it, Ash had taken to his platform, preparing for battle.

"Look Misty," Brock smiled for the first time that morning, "Ash is getting ready for his battle!"

"Mmmhm," Misty nodded, biting her lip as she did so.

"Misty, are you _sure y_ou're okay?" Brock sighed.

"Yes Brock," Misty grumbled, "I swear I'm fine. These are just those stupid practice contractions. Nothing is wrong with me."

"Battle, begin!" The referee called.

At the same time, a nearly unbearable pain shot through Misty's stomach. The sting was so bad that Misty let out a little cry, tears welling in her eyes as she doubled over in severe pain.

"Misty?" Brock gasped quietly, leaning down so his head was next to Misty's. "Are you okay? Misty?"

Misty tried to answer, but no words would come out of her mouth. So instead, she simply shook her head as the tears continued to fall down her cheeks.

"What is it?" Brock gripped Misty's shoulders. "Are you in pain? Is that it?" Misty gasped slightly and nodded her head. "But it's just practice contractions, right?"

"N…no…" Misty finally found her voice; albeit weak and wracked with pain.

"It's not?" Brock quivered.

"Brock…" Misty croaked, her breath becoming more and more ragged with each passing moment, "I…I think it's time!"

* * *

><p><strong>So...is it for real this time? Are the babies <em>actually <em>coming now? Or am I just being evil again? Hm :P**

**Well, you'll just have to wait a week to find out! Forutnately, I'll be home for the next update, so I can gaurantee it'll come at regular time.**

**The reviewing has still been awesome, so thanks a bunch you guys! You really keep me going. Until next time dear readers!**


	18. Labor of Love

**Hello dear readers! It's the update you've all been waiting for...the babies' big debut! **

**Just a little warning though, since there _is _well...birth in this chapter. It's nothing graphic (this story is only rated T people! :P) but, ya know, her water breaks and stuff. Just a little disclaimer!**

**Now, I know you're all anxiously waiting to find out what's going to happen next, so I'll just shut up and let you read!**

* * *

><p>"Okay…what are we gonna' do?" Brock sighed as he ran a shaky hand through his hair. He had taken Misty out of the stands, and was now standing with her in a hallway of the stadium. Brock was actually remaining quite calm, much to Misty's surprise.<p>

"You…you have to get Ash…" Misty panted, grabbing at her stomach with both hands. This hurt _way _more than she thought it would, and this was only the beginning!

"But…he's gonna' kill me," Brock groaned, tugging at his dark locks.

"Damnit Brock, I don't care!" Misty stormed, her emerald eyes clouding over. "I'm standing here in _labor _and you're more concerned about your broken promise with Ash?"

"You're right, I'm sorry," Brock breathed out heavily while rubbing his temples. "Come on, we've gotta' get down to the battle field."

"B…Brock…" Misty whimpered as she slid down the wall into a sitting position.

"What's wrong Misty?" Brock kneeled down in front of Misty, gently touching her upper arms in a comforting manner.

"I…I can't walk," Misty gasped, "It hurts too much, Brock. It hurts."

"Okay," Brock wrapped his arms around Misty and pulled her into a bridal style hold, "then _I'll _just have to take you to Ash myself." As Brock repositioned Misty in his arms to make her comfortable, she let out a heart wrenching whimper. Still, Brock wasn't fazed as he looked down at his watch. "Was that another contraction?"

"Y…yeah…" Misty winced.

"Okay, I'm going to time them," Brock nodded as he lowered his wrist to put his hand against Misty's lower back, "that will tell us just how close you are to giving birth."

"You're so good with this Brock," Misty blushed as he sprinted off towards the staircase that led to the bottom of the stadium, "why's that?"

"Well…you'd be surprised by how similar human birth and Pokémon birth is!" Brock chuckled.

"But Pokémon lay eggs," Misty frowned.

"That they do," Brock nodded, "but up until the egg is laid, the pregnancy process is quite similar."

Misty nodded slowly before resting her head against Brock's chest. The contractions seemed to be taking a rest for now, and she was beginning to feel a little better. Hopefully she would be able to hold out until they reached Ash.

"Brock," Misty started again, "are the babies in danger?"

"What do you mean?" Brock inquired.

"Well, I know we have to be careful when I'm _having _them," Misty bit her lip, "but they weren't due for another three weeks. Could there be…problems?"

"There could be," Brock sighed heavily after an awkward beat.

"WH…what?" Misty frowned. Her voice was wracked with fear, and Brock could feel his heart break just at the tone of her voice.

"But Ash and I are going to make sure the _three_ of you are just fine," Brock gave Misty a reassuring grin, "so don't stress out. It's not good for you _or_ them." Misty nodded and pressed a flat hand against her beach ball sized belly.

When Brock finally reached the staircase, Misty's contractions had started up again.

"Brock…" Misty panted.

"More?" Brock stopped to glance at Misty. She nodded wordlessly, the pain growing worse and worse with each passing moment. Brock pulled out his wrist and looked down at his watch, breathing out rather sharply. "You're at eight minutes right now."

"Is…is that bad?" Misty finally managed to speak.

"It's okay," Brock put his hand back as he descended down the stairs, "but we've gotta' get to Ash." Brock tried to go down the stairs quickly and carefully, knowing that if Misty got bounced around, it wouldn't be too pleasant for the young expectant mother.

"Brock I feel like I'm gonna' be sick," Misty moaned as she leaned her head back.

"That's normal," Brock hurried down the corridor, "just hang on, okay?" Finally locating the doorway that led out to the battle field, Brock kept on moving down the hallway. "Look Misty, we're here. Not much longer now…"

"Freeze!"

Brock yelped quietly and did as he was told.

"Damnit Brock now is _not _the time to be a good little boy!" Misty screamed, her face quickly reddening. Either way, Brock wasn't about to move. Looking up, the Pokémon doctor found a security guard marching towards them.

"What a sorry excuse for a security guard," Misty grumbled, the pain of her contractions clearly getting to the already temperamental red head.

"Misty, shush!" Brock scolded, a blush crawling up on his cheeks. The security guard was coming closer and closer, so surely he could hear what Misty was saying.

"Seriously, _this _guy is supposed to be the one to protect my husband?" Misty huffed. "It looks more like he spends his time napping on a couch with a face covered in cookie crumbs."

"_Misty!_" Brock hissed, his face growing even hotter.

"But then again, that's what Ash does, and he's not very fat, now is he?" Misty just kept going.

"Ahem."

Misty glanced up at the rotund sentry, her dulled emerald eyes looking less than pleased with him.

"What are you two kids doing down here?" The guard demanded, his arms folded across his chest.

"Excuse me, but do I look like a _kid_ to you?" Misty retorted smartly as she motioned towards her distended stomach. The guard started to look even more aggravated, if that was possible, and that's when Brock realized he needed to step in.

"I'm sorry for…her," Brock apologized nervously as Misty shot him a deadly glare, "but, you see, she's kind of in labor right now and…"

"_Kind_ of?" Misty bit. "No. I _am _in labor. And it hurts like hell!"

"And you want me to help you?" The security guard arched a curious eyebrow. Brock opened his mouth to respond, but Misty cut in once again.

"Uh, _no_! I need my husband, if you don't mind."

"Please sir," Brock sighed, somewhat fearing that the guard would kill him or maybe even Misty, "she's in a lot of pain…"

"Really?" The guard scrutinized Misty, "I wouldn't know it."

Suddenly, another contraction shot through Misty's stomach, and she no longer felt like messing around with the man who was supposed to be protecting her husband. Instead, she let out a low moan and began to rub her stomach, trying to make the pain go away.

"Misty?" Brock asked, looking down worriedly at the red head. Her body had tensed up a lot more than it had during her previous contractions.

"And how do I know she's not faking this?" The guard glowered. "All of a sudden she wants to be in pain?"

"Hey!" Brock snapped, putting Misty down on her feet. She groaned as the pain traveled all the way down her legs, making her feel weak and uneasy. "She isn't pretending! I know she wasn't being particularly nice before, but she's just not a very nice pregnant lady!" Looking nervously over his shoulder, Brock made sure to add, "Sorry Misty, but it's true." She was in too much pain to care.

As the two grown men bickered like children in front of her, Misty couldn't help but to whimper quietly to herself. The pain was getting so intense that her vision was beginning to blur. Misty swore that she would fall over at any moment. The source of the hurt was deep in her stomach, but it stretched all the way up to her shoulders, and all the way down to her ankles.

All too quickly, Misty felt like something had snapped from within her. It was swift and not completely painful, but she felt it very clearly.

And not long after _that, _she felt a warm liquid running down her legs, and pooling all around her feet.

"Oh no," Misty breathed, keeping her eyes shut as tightly as she could. She didn't want to look at it. She was almost one hundred percent sure she knew what it was, but oh how she did _not _want to look. Clearing her throat, Misty was able to squeak out, "Brock?"

But he was still too busy arguing. He couldn't hear her.

"Brock," Misty groaned, still keeping her eyes shut. Nothing. "BROCK!"

"What is it Mis…" Brock whipped around, his words becoming lost as he noticed the spacious wet spot beneath Misty's feet. "Uh oh."

"Is…is it what I think it is?" Misty's lip quivered, the pain in her midsection not subsiding.

"Yeah," Brock sighed heavily, "it's what you think it is."

Groaning quietly, Misty opened up just one eye and peered down. There was indeed a shallow pool of liquid on the floor. Opening up her other eye, Misty studied it a little more and gasped when she saw something she didn't like.

"What's wrong?" Brock approached Misty and reached for her shoulders.

"There's…blood…" Misty whispered, blinking just once. The girl _hated _blood. It was right up there on her list along with bugs, peppers, and carrots.

"I know Misty, but that's…"

Misty started screaming, tears quickly running down her cheeks as she wailed.

"Normal!" Brock finished, looking down at the wet spot. When he did, he received a little bit of a shock. There wasa _lot_ of blood. More so than Brock had ever seen in this kind of a situation.

Misty, meanwhile, was sobbing uncontrollably, her body beginning to convulse with the heavy cries.

"Misty, calm down, it's okay!" Brock tried to soothe the young woman, but it was of no use. She was absolutely terrified. _Convinced _she was going to die.

"A…ASH!" Misty shrieked, raising her hands to her eyes as though that would mask her crying fit.

From his platform on the battlefield, Ash could hear his name being called. It was a tortured cry, high pitched and…familiar. He waited for a moment, listening for his name to be called again.

"ASH!"

The Pokémon master's eyes snapped open. He felt as though his heart was about to fall out of his chest. He knew who it was. He had been hoping that it wasn't who he'd suspected, but there was no denying it.

"Misty…" Ash murmured to himself. In a flash, he spun around and jumped off the platform, completely abandoning the battle. The crowd gasped in shock, and Ash knew this meant he'd be disqualified from the tournament. The Pokémon master being debarred from the competition was shameful, and Ash knew it. Now was _not_ the time to dwell on that, however.

Ash ran down the corridor, eventually finding his way to Misty. The pretty red head was nearly doubled over, tears staining her fair cheeks as she cried her dark green eyes out.

"Misty, what's wrong…oh no," Ash glanced down, and quickly noticed the spacious puddle beneath Misty's feet. "You're….your uh…"

"Her water broke," Brock finished for the flustered young man.

"Ash…" Misty whimpered, her shoulders shrugging as she cried.

"Oh honey…don't cry…" Ash tried to comfort her, never taking his eyes off the liquid on the ground. "I just uh…I need a minute…"

Ash closed his eyes as he moaned quietly and backed himself up against a wall.

"Ash, I swear to Arceus you better _not _pass out right now," Misty threatened through clenched teeth, her hands balling into tight fists.

"Not gonna…" Ash mumbled as he felt his legs weaken.

"ASH!" Misty screamed, this time her tone more angry than pained.

Ash gasped and jumped away from the wall, his senses coming alive as a rush of adrenaline shot through his veins. _Now is _not_ the time to mess around_, Ash thought strongly, _or get squeamish around a little…bloody… _

"Ash…" Misty growled from her throat as the color once again drained from his face.

"I'm fine!" Ash quickly shook his head to get the image out. Puffing out his chest, Ash held his head high as he marched closer to Misty, making sure to keep his eyes off of the ominous liquid. Holding out his arms, he grabbed Misty and held her in a bridal style fashion, just as Brock had done not so long ago. "Uh…what now?" Ash blinked as he looked back at Brock.

"We have to get her to the hospital," Brock warned, his eyes shifting between the pained Misty and the adrenaline high Ash.

"Alright," Ash nodded, "let's go!"

**XXX**

Brock was usually very patient.

He rarely complained either. The Pokémon doctor just took everything in stride, finding life to be much easier when you just rolled with the punches.

In this case, Brock was defying everything he normally lived by.

Eight hours. They had gotten to the hospital _eight _hours ago. And still nothing.

It wasn't waiting for the babies to arrive that was killing him. As a Pokémon doctor, Brock knew that these things took time and couldn't be rushed. Rather, it was waiting to find out if Misty was alright. This experience was going to be a rough one for the gym leader, and all Brock could do was hope that she'd make it through in one piece.

"What is taking those kids so long?"

Brock glanced to his right, where Scott was sitting down in a chair and pulling at his curly, coffee colored locks. The older man had arrived an hour after the original three, once he had sorted out the problem of Ash abandoning the battle. Scott was angry at first, but after learning why Ash had done it, his fury had subsided.

"Babies move at their own pace in this kind of thing," Brock smirked at Ash's fidgety manager, "some go faster than others. These two clearly aren't in any rush. They're taking their time."

"You know who their parents are, correct?" Scott lowered his sunglasses as he looked at the younger, dark skinned man. Brock couldn't understand why, for the life of him, that Scott always wore those tacky sunglasses. Even indoors. "With Ash as a father, those two shouldn't even be _capable_ of moving slowly."

"I think maybe they've got some of Delia's personality traits, then," Brock chuckled warmly.

"I just wish they'd hurry up…" Scott groaned into his hands.

"You're nervous, aren't you?" Brock leered.

"Me? Nervous?" Scott asked incredulously. "No. Of course not. I don't get nervous."

"Oh, you're nervous," Brock smiled to himself as he folded his arms. "I've seen this one too many times. You're worried; for _all_ of them."

"Perhaps," Scott sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Who knew this day would be so stressful?"

A few more minutes passed. Scott got up to anxiously pace the floor, while Brock rested his head in his hand and shut his eyes for a little while. Pikachu, who was sitting to Brock's left, kept a very worried look on his face, his ears dropping down every now and again. Ash and Misty were his two favorite people in the world. Pikachu was emotionally in sync with both of them, and he could sense everything. Misty's pain, Ash's fear. The fact that he had to sit in this lousy waiting room and not be able to comfort his _Pikapi _and _Pikachupi _was making Pikachu absolutely miserable.

More time passed. Just about ten or fifteen minutes. Suddenly, Pikachu's ears stood up, twitching just once.

"Hmm?" Brock noticed this. "What's up Pikachu?"

"Pikapi…" Pikachu murmured.

Less than five seconds later, Ash walked into the waiting room, his dark brown eyes wide and his face completely void of color.

"Ash, are you okay?" Brock gasped as he jumped up. "Is Misty alright? Did she have the babies yet?"

"Uh…no to all those questions," Ash answered statically, his fingers squirming nervously at his sides. They stopped, however, when he noticed Scott pacing the floor and mumbling incoherently. "Hey…is Scott okay?"

"He's nervous," Brock smiled playfully, "he can't believe he's about to be a grandpa."

"BROCK!" Scott scolded the Pokémon doctor while Ash, for the first time that day, let out a hearty laugh.

"Ahh," Brock sighed, wiping a tear away from his eye. "So, is she at least close?"

"I don't know," Ash's frown reappeared, as did his anxious fingers, "but she's starting to get really tired. And she's been screaming at me this _entire _time! _Eight_ hours of abuse, Brock!"

"I'm sorry," Brock clapped a hand on Ash's shoulder. His teasing smirk returning, Brock added, "but you do kind of deserve it. You _are _the reason she's suffering right now, after all."

Ash looked up and shot Brock a burning glare. "Not helping."

"Sorry," Brock smiled sympathetically.

"Pikapi," Pikachu cried, racing towards his trainer.

"Hey buddy," Ash greeted with a weak smile, holding his arms out so the electric mouse could jump into them.

"Pika…pikachupi," Pikachu mumbled into Ash's chest, his ears falling once again.

"I know, you're worried," Ash hugged his partner Pokémon, "I know."

"So what brings you out here?" Brock asked, trying to relieve the tension.

"I just needed a break," Ash sighed, shaking his head tiredly. "I don't know if I can deal with this, Brock."

"Of course you can Ash," Brock comforted the younger man, "you're the Pokémon master. You can deal with _anything._"

"Not seeing Misty in severe pain I can't," Ash winced, "it's too hard to take, Brock."

"Then you need to be strong for _her_," Brock continued strongly, his voice escalating, "Misty needs you now more than ever, Ash. So get back in there, hold her hand, and take all of the abuse she gives you. It's the least you can do."

"You're…you're right," Ash nodded, his face transforming into a look of determination, "I've gotta' be strong. For her." Looking down, he smiled sadly at Pikachu, who exchanged the expression. "Sorry buddy, but I've gotta' go. The next time I see you, I'll be a Daddy."

"Pikachu!" The little yellow Pokémon cheered, giving Ash one last lick on the cheek before jumping out of his arms.

"Good luck," Brock called after Ash.

**XXX**

It took another three hours, but finally, at long last, Ash and Misty's twins had been born.

And the events which were occurring immediately after were enough to break all of Ash's might in a single foul swoop.

The boy had been born first, screaming and crying at the top of his lungs. That alarmed Ash greatly, and he couldn't quite understand why Misty had tears of joy running down her face.

"Is he okay?" Ash had whispered to Misty, "or is something wrong?"

"It's good," Misty's shaky voice responded, "It means he's breathing on his own."

Ash felt a grin stretch on his face, his own happy tears forming. When he went to turn his head, however, the baby boy was gone, quickly whisked away by a nurse. And just like that, the frown was back. _Why can't I see my son? _Ash thought sadly.

Twelve minutes later, their daughter was born. But something differed between her and her brother.

The baby girl wasn't crying.

Ash instantly began to panic, and while Misty was attempting to speak out, her eyes were growing heavily and involuntarily closing.

"A…Ash…" Misty whispered tiredly before her eyelids fell, her head falling deeper into the pillow.

"Misty?" Ash turned his head, shocked to find the red head completely unconscious. "Misty!" Ash gently patted her cheek, hoping to wake up the gym leader. It did no good. "Dr. Aaron!"

The brunet physician handed the newborn girl off to a nurse, a concerned expression apparent on his face. This caused Ash to become even more troubled. Looking back towards Ash, Dr. Aaron changed his uneasy look to a blank one.

"What is it, Ash?"

"Misty won't wake up!" Ash cried. "I…I think she passed out."

"I was afraid of this," Dr. Aaron hissed quietly as he reached for Misty's wrist, searching dutifully for her pulse. Upon locating it, his expression grew grim as he gently lowered her slender arm. "She's lost too much blood."

"What?" Ash shrieked, his eyes growing wide as he shifted his gaze between his wife and the doctor. "Will…will she be okay?"

"I hope so," Dr. Aaron sighed as he headed towards the door. "I'll go get some supplement to try and help her regain consciousness."

As the doctor left, Ash looked down at Misty, his heart pounding painfully as hot, uncontrollable tears filled his eyes. "Misty…" Ash whispered, "Misty please, wake up." Her eyes remained closed, and the water now began to flow freely from Ash's dark brown eyes. "Please Misty, you have to wake up. I…I think something is wrong with our little girl, and…and I don't know what to do."

Ash rested a shaky hand on Misty's cheek, but she didn't even budge. His throat tightened up, burning as more tears landed heavily on the hospital bed.

"I need you," Ash murmured miserably, before his tone strengthened "I can't do this on my own! Misty, please…I'm begging you! Wake up!"

* * *

><p><strong>I can't let anyone be happy, can I? I'm a terrible person.<strong>

**Well, not to worry! The next update will be coming on Thursday (as per usual) and you will all find out what happens next!**

**As always, I want to thank everyone for the reviews, comments, all that good stuff. It means alot to me, and it keeps this story going! So they're very much appreciated, and you guys all rock for them!**

**Until next time, dear readers, keep reading, reviewing, and being awesome! See ya!**


	19. Meet the Babies

**Hey there readers! I'm back with a SUPER long update for you all! I'm proud of the way this one came out. It's the perfect mix of fluff, drama, suspense...so yeah :P**

**Anyway, when we last left off, Misty was knocked out and something was wrong with the baby girl. So what will happen next? Read on and find out...**

* * *

><p>"<em>I need you," Ash murmured miserably, before his tone strengthened "I can't do this on my own! Misty, please…I'm begging you! Wake up!"<em>

The words echoed in Ash's head like a haunting old ghost tale. It taunted him and made his heart hurt, tiring him out and making him want to scream at the top of his lungs all at the same time.

"Ash…" Brock whispered. The raven haired young man refused to look up. "Ash it'll be alright. Come on now."

"What if it's not?" Ash grumbled.

"Ash…" Brock sighed.

"No, Brock," Ash growled, his eyes burning as he raised his head. "I don't know _what's _going on! I haven't gotten to see my son, something is wrong with my daughter, and Misty…Misty might…" Ash groaned and buried his face in his hands. He couldn't bring himself to even mention the possibility.

"Ash don't think that way!" Scott's gruff voice broke in. It was just past midnight at this point, and Scott had been woken up from a fairly restless sleep after the twins had been born. So, part of his scolding was out of exhaustion, and the other, larger part was from concern for his young client.

"It's kind of hard not to!" Ash snapped, his brow furrowing. Pikachu squeaked and jumped onto Ash's lap, snuggling against the anxious Pokémon master.

"You're always _so _confident and _so _optimistic about everything!" Scott continued, the sunglasses slipping down the bridge of his nose. "So why not now? You're just gonna' give up? Just like that? What would Misty think?"

"She'd be furious!" Ash retorted, his eyes still on fire. "But that doesn't do me much good, does it? She's not around to tell me what to do!"

"You can't give up on her Ash," Scott growled lowly, pulling his shoulders back, "not her, not your son, and not your daughter."

"I'm not giving up on any of them!" Ash jumped up, Pikachu leaping off onto an empty chair. "I would _never _do that! I'm just…just…"

"What?" Scott hissed. "You're just _what?_"

New tears began to slip down Ash's cheeks. He didn't want to cry, not in front of Brock and Scott. It was the very last thing he wanted to do. It wasn't manly and besides, he was a father now. Dads were _not _supposed to cry. Ash had never had a father, but even he knew that.

"I'm so scared," Ash mumbled hoarsely, "I thought everything would be fine. That maybe Misty and I would get lucky, and we would avoid all those problems that the doctor was projecting. But we didn't. And it hurts."

"Ash," Scott breathed, frowning as the raven haired young man looked down to the floor as his tears cascaded down his face.

"I just…I just want…" Ash hiccupped, rubbing furiously at his eyes.

"Ash?"

The Pokémon master looked up, his eyes still glistening with tears. Dr. Aaron was standing just outside of the doors that led down the corridor where all of the rooms were. Breathing out sharply, Ash took a few steps forward, his lips twitching with anticipation.

"Misty…" Ash breathed, "is…is she…"

"She's not awake yet," Dr. Aaron frowned. At this, Ash's heart plummeted, and Dr. Aaron tried to make up for it by informing, "But she _is _responding well to the treatment. My outlook for her is much more positive than it was before hand."

"Okay," Ash nodded, still not feeling totally content with the news.

"Why don't you come back to her room?" Dr. Aaron offered. "I know you'd like to be there when she wakes up."

"Yes, I would," Ash sighed, his shoulders dropping a little lower.

The saddened young man followed after the physician, his heart beating a little more quickly as he entered Misty's room. Examining the young woman, Ash couldn't help but to feel slightly relieved. She wasn't as pale as before; some color had returned to her face.

"I'll be back in a little while," Dr. Aaron stated from behind Ash. The only response he could muster was a nod.

Taking slow and cautious steps, Ash moved closer to Misty, eventually taking a seat next to her bed and holding her delicate hand in his much stronger ones.

"Misty," Ash whispered, hoping that somehow his voice would get through to her, "come on angel. Aren't you ready to wake up yet?" She didn't move. Groaning softly, Ash leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her smooth cheek. "How's that?" Ash continued, "Would you wake up for that?" Still nothing.

Whimpering, Ash leaned back in his chair and dragged a hand through his tangled raven hair. He couldn't believe this was happening.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Ash mumbled to himself, shutting his eyes tightly. "I must be a terrible, terrible husband…"

"No you're not."

Ash grew wide eyed and glanced over at Misty. Her head was moving gently from side to side, her eyes beginning to creak open.

"Misty?" Ash asked quietly.

"Hi," Misty's weak voice replied, the tiniest of smiles appearing on her face.

"Oh Misty," Ash breathed, his eyes watering for what felt like the millionth time that night. He moved closer to Misty and touched her face, making sure she was awake. Misty blinked in response, and her smile grew a little stronger. "Misty!" Ash squealed, wrapping his arms around her now more slender frame.

"Ow, that hurts," Misty winced, her voice still watered down.

"I'm sorry," Ash fretted, gently putting Misty back down on the bed. "I didn't mean to hurt you angel. I…I just got so excited was all, I…"

"It's okay," Misty interrupted, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"I'm so happy you're alright," Ash sniffed, kissing Misty's temple.

"Me too," Misty sighed, taking a deep breath out. Gazing up at Ash's tear stained face, Misty let out a little giggle before growing serious, her brow and smile straightening out in bewilderment.

"What's up honey?" Ash asked, leaning in closer to the pretty red head.

"Wh…where are our babies?" Misty inquired softly.

"Uh…" Ash trailed off, his eyes darting around the room.

"Ash, is there something wrong?" Misty frowned. "Where are they?"

"They…they uh…" Ash tried, nervously rubbing the back of his head.

"Is this who you're looking for?"

Ash and Misty both looked towards the door of the hospital room. In the door frame stood Dr. Aaron, a wide smile on his face as he cradled a small blue bundle.

"My…my little boy," Misty whispered, her eyes full of longing.

"He's a perfectly healthy little thing," Dr. Aaron beamed, still holding the baby's face out of view. "He weighed in at four pounds, eight ounces. A little tiny, but he _is _healthy, so that's all that matters."

"Could I see him?" Misty murmured. Her voice featured a twinge of nervousness, but mostly it was anticipation. She wanted to hold that baby more than anything in the world.

"Of course," Dr. Aaron nodded, walking over to Misty. She held her arms out and accepted the infant. Holding him close, she gasped softly as tears welled in her eyes. He was the most beautiful baby Misty had ever seen.

A full head of hair; black as oil. It was thin and wispy, like the feathers on a newly hatched Psyduck. His skin was darker than Misty's, but lighter than Ash's. The boy's eyes were shut tightly, showing no signs of opening up anytime soon.

"He's beautiful…" Misty whimpered happily, her tears overflowing. "Oh Ash, he looks just like you."

"I wish I could bring you your daughter," Dr. Aaron's voice broke in again, "but we're still running some tests on her."

"T…tests?" Ash asked, his heart faltering.

"She wasn't breathing very well," Dr. Aaron frowned, "in fact, she was almost struggling. I just want to make sure everything is okay with her."

"Are you almost done?" Ash choked out, "with…the tests I mean?"

"We should be soon," Dr. Aaron nodded, "and as soon as they are, I promise to bring you your little girl."

Ash looked over at Misty, but she clearly had nothing to say. She was focusing solely on their son, although the jovial smile that had been on her face was now gone.

"Thank you," Ash grinned weakly at the physician, who in turn nodded silently and left the room. Sighing, Ash looked back at his wife and son, his smile strengthening at the serene sight. "He really _is _beautiful," Ash whispered, gazing at the little baby.

"Of course," Misty breathed, hugging the boy a little tighter. Looking up at Ash, she smiled sweetly and asked, "Would you like to hold him?"

Ash's eyes widened. He looked up from his nervously twitching hands, noticing that Misty looked highly confused by his reaction. "I…I can't…" Ash murmured, his eyes dropping again.

"Why not?" Misty frowned, bouncing the baby a little as he began to whimper.

"I'm afraid I'll break him," Ash whispered, a blush crawling up on his cheeks, "he's so tiny, and fragile."

"You won't hurt him," Misty assured, attempting to give Ash the baby yet again.

"Misty, I can't," Ash said a little more strongly this time, leading Misty to recoil slightly. Sighing, Ash brushed back a strand of her copper hair and continued more softly, "I just can't. It's too much of a risk."

"But Ash…" Misty frowned. The baby in her arms whined and freed his arms from the tightly swaddled blanket. They waved around wildly at first, the child clearly unsure of what to do with them. Misty looked down and gave the boy a sad smile, brushing her fingers against his own. "It's alright sweetie. Don't get upset."

At his mother's touch, the baby cooed softly and moved his hands back towards his face.

The sound of quiet, shuffling footsteps caused Ash to turn around, his eyes widening slightly at the sight. In the door frame stood Dr. Aaron, a pink bundle now being held in his arms.

"Is…is that…" Ash stammered, his body beginning to shake.

"Your little girl, yes," Dr. Aaron nodded, his lips keeping their frowning shape.

"Why don't you look happy?" Misty asked quietly, her thin red bangs curtaining her bright emerald eyes. "Is something really wrong?"

"Well…I wouldn't say _really _wrong," The doctor sighed, "but there _is _a problem…"

"Oh my Arceus," Misty wailed as she shut her eyes, tears beginning to stream out of them. She held the baby boy even closer, as though this news would tear him away from her.

"Misty, he hasn't even told us what's wrong yet," Ash murmured, his fingers gripping nervously at his shirt.

"Because she was born early, her lungs are a little underdeveloped," Dr. Aaron continued, "fortunately, she _can_ breathe on her own, it's just harder for her than for a healthier newborn."

"How come our son's lungs are fine, then?" Ash brushed Misty's trembling arm, "they were born at the same time."

"He developed more quickly than she did," Dr. Aaron replied, "that's common in twins for one baby to be less developed than the other."

"Will she be okay?" Misty whimpered, her tears slowly beginning to cease. Ash gave his wife a sympathetic glance as he wiped the remaining tears away.

"She should be just fine," the doctor nodded, "I'm not _too _concerned about her."

Without another word, he moved closer to Ash and placed the baby girl into his arms. An instant panic overtook Ash, his brown eyes darting crazily with fear.

"Uh…uh…I can't…" Ash stammered, his body beginning to quake almost violently. In turn, Dr. Aaron gave the Pokémon master a delicate smile before leaving the room yet again.

"Ash, look at her," Misty stated quietly, his voice hushed and angelic. Still shaking, Ash peered down at the little bundle in his arms, his heart slowing down as he did so.

The baby girl was beautiful, a mirror image of Misty. Skin only slighter darker than the gym leader's, with a mop of fine hair that was as red as fire. Slowly, her eyes slipped open, revealing a pair of emerald green orbs that looked around the room curiously for just a moment before settling themselves on Ash.

"Hi sweetheart," Ash whispered breathlessly, his heart speeding up once more. "I'm your Daddy."

The child's lips pulled up into a tiny smile, happiness glinting in her eyes as she continued to smile up at her father.

"She's smiling at you!" Misty cooed as she brushed through their son's hair absent mindedly. "You got her first smile. How sweet!"

"Heh, yeah," Ash grinned sheepishly. Continuing to stare at his daughter, Ash watched in awe as the baby let out a fairly large yawn for such a tiny thing. Making tiny, content noises, the child's eyes closed again as she moved her head into Ash's chest, nestling it in until she felt comfortable.

"Ash, I think she adores you," Misty sniffed, her eyes welling up with tears once more. These tears, however, were happy tears.

"Maybe…" Ash murmured, his own eyes watering up. This little girl was precious, so wonderful. Ash, in fact, was sure he'd never loved anything so quickly after he'd seen it.

"So, now that you're not afraid of holding a baby," Misty giggled, "do you want to switch?"

"Yeah, sure," Ash smiled back at her. The two traded babies, their happy expressions never once changing in the process.

"Ash," Misty piped up after a few minutes of complete silence.

"What is it Mist?" Ash asked sweetly, moving a little closer to his pretty but exhausted wife.

"They need names," Misty murmured, "Our babies need names. And…I just want us to name them."

"I think you're a little delirious right now," Ash smirked, "are you sure you're up for that?"

"Yes," Misty nodded feverously, "I'm just fine. Come on."

"Alright," Ash sighed before thinking for a moment. "Are we still going to name our little girl Kate?"

"Still?" Misty blinked.

"I thought you liked that name," Ash continued, "and she looks like a Kate, I think. Did you change your mind?"

"No, Kate is a cute name," Misty replied slowly, "but…I came up with a name that I really like. And it has a special meaning to it."

"Okay. What is it?"

Misty tried to think of a way to explain it to Ash, but she figured it would be easier if she just showed him. "Could you go into my bag for me?" Misty asked tiredly. "You can give me our little boy for now."

Ash seemed a little perplexed by the request, but none the less he handed the blue bundle over to Misty and walked over to where her light pink bag sat in a nearby chair.

"Open it up and bring me the black box that's in there," Misty continued.

Ash zippered it open and searched for the object Misty so coveted. After finding the dark square, he sat down on Misty's bed and held it tightly between his hands.

"This is it?" Ash asked.

"Yes," Misty nodded, "open it."

Ash took the top off and stared into the box, gasping gently when he saw the object that was held within the box.

"It's…the hair clip…" Ash murmured, his eyes shining as he gazed at the light blue seashell accessory. "You still have it?"

"Of course," Misty giggled quietly, "you gave that to me on our first date. I would never get rid of it, ever."

"Why do you have it in your bag?" Ash asked.

"Because I want it to be our daughter's namesake," Misty smiled softly, "I want to name her Michelle."

"Michelle?" Ash repeated.

"Yes," Misty nodded, "I think it has a lot of meaning to it."

"What kind of meaning?" Ash gently tilted his head.

"Well, the very first thing you gave me when we first got together was the hair clip," Misty explained, "and now, we have two little babies. And you gave them to me."

"No, I think _you _gave them to _me_," Ash fought back playfully.

"Either way," Misty smiled, "we've gone all the way from a little hair clip to two children. So I think naming her Michelle is very appropriate."

"I like it actually," Ash shot Misty a sweet little grin, "Michelle Ketchum."

"Michelle _Aimi_ Ketchum," Misty corrected.

"You want to give her a middle name?" Ash inquired. "I don't have one."

"I do," Misty smirked, enjoying the look that had crept up on Ash's face. She knew that this little fact was unknown to him before she'd said it. "Mine is Isabella."

"You look _nothing _like an Isabella," Ash deadpanned.

"That's why it's my _middle_ name," Misty stuck her tongue out teasingly.

"Okay, so why Aimi?" Ash returned to the topic at hand.

"It means beautiful beloved," Misty smiled down lovingly at the girl. After a moment, her lips bent into a frown as her expression grew deeply serious. "And I want to honor my grandmother."

"Your grandmother?" Ash prodded as Misty held the newly named Michelle closer to her chest.

"She was my best friend, and died when I was still just a little girl," Misty sighed. "Her name was Amy."

"There are so many things about your family that I don't know," Ash replied quietly, not noticing the ominous flash go through his wife's eyes.

"Yeah…" Misty mumbled.

Realizing Misty didn't want to go any deeper into the subject, Ash nodded and gave the red head a gentle smile. "Right. Michelle Aimi Ketchum it is. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

"Uh huh," Misty grew happy again, throwing the tiny baby in her arms another joyous smile. "Now our little boy needs a name."

"I've got an idea, actually," Ash looked up at Misty, his brown eyes shining with hope.

"Really? What is it?"

"Aiden."

"Aiden?" Misty repeated, testing the name out.

"Yeah. I was looking through that baby names book of yours, and I found the name Aiden. I really like it. It means 'little fire.' Plus, I wanted something that started with an A."

"You would," Misty smirked at Ash.

"Hey, it's fair!" Ash giggled. "Your name and Michelle's names both start with an M."

"Alright, fine," Misty playfully rolled her eyes, "you win."

"Well, do you like it?" Ash poked.

"Like what?" Misty blinked.

"The name!"

"Oh, right!" Misty chuckled sweetly. "Let's see…Aiden. Aiden Ketchum. I think it sounds pretty good!"

"Aiden _Nash _Ketchum," Ash smirked, repeating what Misty had done earlier.

"Nash?" Misty raised her eyebrow. "I'm not so sure I like it, even as a middle name."

"Well, I found it in the baby name book too," Ash explained. "That one means 'at the ash tree.' It's kinda' cool, don't you think?"

"Because it has your name in it?" Misty asked.

"Yeah…" Ash chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I also think the name sounds really cool though!"

"Well, you let me pick out all of Michelle's name," Misty mused, "so I guess it would only be fair if you got to give _Aiden_," Misty broke to smile when she noticed the sheer joy show up on Ash's face, "all of his name."

"Thank you so much Misty," Ash leaned forward to give her a kiss, "I love you more than anything in the whole world."

"And I feel the same about you," Misty added as he pulled away. "And our sweet little babies, too."

"Aiden and Michelle," Ash looked down and switched his gaze between both of the newborns. "What tiny, perfect little things."

"I want Brock to see them," Misty smiled, "could you get him, Ash?"

"Sure, if he's not asleep," Ash nodded, brushing through Misty's matted copper hair.

"Wait, Ash," Misty stopped him as he stood up. "Before you go get him, I think we need to discuss something."

**XXX**

As Ash stepped back into the waiting room, Pikachu cried out happily and jumped into his trainer's arms.

"Hey there buddy!" Ash chuckled as he cuddled the fuzzy yellow creature. Looking ahead, Ash saw that Scott had fallen back asleep in his chair. Brock, however, was wide awake, which Ash found surprising.

"Hey there Ash," Brock grinned as he gave Ash a little wave.

"Brock, how are you still awake?" Ash chuckled tiredly. "It's almost two in the morning."

"I guess I'm just too excited to go to sleep," Brock shrugged, "my best friends just had not one but _two _babies. This is very exhilarating!"

"Yeah," Ash smiled. "Would you like to come see them?"

"Of course," Brock began to stand up, but he soon stopped himself. "Wait, is Misty alright with it? She must be exhausted."

"She's alright," Ash assured, "she's resting in bed with Aiden and Michelle."

"Those are their names?" Brock beamed.

"Pika?" Pikachu translated Aiden's name into his own language. "Pipika?" He then did the same with Michelle's name.

"Yeah, we just came up with them a little while ago," Ash nodded, "Misty came up with Michelle, and I came up with Aiden. They're perfect."

"I can't wait to see them," Brock grinned.

"Then you don't have to!" Ash allowed Pikachu to scamper up on his shoulder. "Come on, I'll take you to see everybody."

Ash led Brock down the corridor and into Misty's room, where she was still in bed with both babies cradled in her arms. She was so busy looking down at the two little things that she hadn't even noticed Ash and Brock walking in.

"Hey there," Brock greeted Misty with a soft voice, causing her to look up and break out into a wide grin. He wasn't sure if Ash could see it, but Brock could tell just by looking at Misty how exhausted she was. Her emerald eyes, while full of love and happiness, were dull with fatigue. Her skin was shining with dried sweat, and her hair was tangled and disheveled.

"Brock," Misty's weak voice called out to him, "I'm a…a Mom."

"Yes you are," Brock chuckled slightly as he moved closer to Misty. He sat down by her side and brushed away some of the gym leader's messy locks of hair that had fallen in her face. Brock knew he was the only person besides Ash who could do this to the pretty red head. Ash wasn't threatened by Brock; he was just their big brother figure. "You must be very tired."

"Kind of," Misty leaned her head back, "but…I don't want to sleep Brock. I don't want to be taken away from my babies."

"You're not gonna' be taken away from them," Brock hushed, "they're safe here Misty."

"I can't stop looking at them Brock," Misty continued, "They need me."

"Okay," Brock whispered, not wanting to push Misty. She was very adamant about staying awake, and when Misty was adamant about something, Brock knew better than to convince her otherwise.

"But…you can see them," Misty's weak grin returned, "I want you to hold them."

"That's alright with you?" Brock peered down at the sleeping little bundles. In response, Misty simply nodded. Sharing a smile of his own, Brock took both of the babies with complete ease and cradled them in his arms, beaming down at the tiny newborns.

"They're perfect," Misty sighed, her eyes beginning to close.

"They look so much like the two of you," Brock breathed. They weren't his children, nowhere near it. But he felt so overwhelmed when he looked at them. He couldn't believe they were real. "Do you know how long it took to get your Mommy and Daddy together?" Brock murmured to the sleeping babies. "I thought we'd never get to see _anything_ like you two."

"It's a good thing we got together, huh?" Ash laughed softly as he stroked Aiden's cheek.

"Pikapi…" Pikachu squeaked from Ash's shoulder. Ash noticed that Pikachu was looking down at the babies with apprehensive eyes, unsure of what to do with the tiny humans.

"It's okay Pikachu," Ash assured. "Do you want to see them?"

"Pika," Pikachu nodded slowly. Ash picked up the electric mouse and placed him next to Brock. Standing up on his hind legs, Pikachu examined the newborns for another moment before sniffing at them. "Pikapi…" he murmured after smelling Michelle. Moving onto Aiden, he did the same thing, but instead uttered, "pikachupi."

"What's he saying?" Misty asked tiredly, her eyes half lidded.

"He thinks they smell like the both of us," Ash laughed.

"Pikachu…" Misty called softly. Looking up, Pikachu saw Misty beginning to slip into a state of sleep. Wordlessly, the electric type scurried over to her and cuddled against the gym leader's side, hoping to comfort the pretty young woman. "Ash, tell Brock…" Misty whispered, her eyes closing even further.

"Tell him….oh," Ash came to realization, slowly nodding.

"Tell me what?" Brock asked.

"Well…" Ash began, letting out a heavy breath, "Misty and I were talking before, and we decided that you should be the twins' godfather."

"WH…what?" Brock blanched in shock. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course," Ash chuckled, "there's no one I'd trust more with my children if anything ever happened to me."

"I…I'd love to," Brock exhaled, "but…I don't have a wife or anything. Not even a girlfriend. So who do you expect to be the godmother?"

"I'm on it," Misty mumbled, her voice barely audible.

"Misty says she's got some kind of plan," Ash shrugged, "but she wouldn't tell me what it was. All I know is we want you to be their godfather. So, what do you say?"

"Of course," Brock grinned from ear to ear, confirming it with a single nod, "of course I'll be their godfather! But you must know, this means I'm going to end up spoiling them something fierce."

"I think you were going to do that regardless of what we did," Ash smirked.

"True," Brock admitted, the smile still lingering on his face. As the best friends chatted away, a tiny strangled noise from Michelle caught everyone's attention, including Misty, who shot up at the miserable sound.

"What was that?" Misty blinked hard, suddenly feeling very awake.

"Michelle?" Ash asked softly, leaning over the red headed baby who was still cradled in Brock's arm.

"Ash, she's not going to answer you," Misty groaned, moving closer to Ash. She had gotten up too quickly, however, and it made her go light headed. Letting out a groan, Misty fell backwards on the bed, holding her head as she winced.

"Misty!" Brock called out worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"I just…got up too fast…" Misty whispered, her chest rising and falling quite heavily. As she tried to recollect herself, Michelle let out another awful sounding noise. Brock turned his attention back to Michelle, clearly not sure of who to pay attention to first.

"My baby," Ash said painfully, taking the baby girl away from Brock. He rocked her in his arms, hoping to settle the little thing down. "Come on now princess. You okay?" Finally, Michelle stopped squeaking, her breathing evening out as she snuggled into her father's chest.

"Ash," Brock quivered. "Is something wrong with Michelle?"

"Yes," Ash answered after a moment of silence. "She has weak lungs from being born so early. But Dr. Aaron doesn't think it's going to be a problem. He said they'll get stronger, and she'll be a perfectly healthy little girl."

"That's good," Brock nodded, still holding onto Aiden. "And what about Misty?"

"I think she just freaked herself out," Ash let out a dry laugh. He stood up and walked over to Misty's side, placing Michelle by her head. "Look Mommy. Your little baby is _just _fine. I don't want you dying on us, okay?"

"Shut up," Misty murmured as she moved closer to Michelle, nuzzling the baby girl as she finally fell into a deep, unwakeable slumber.

**XXX**

"Good news A…whoa," Scott stopped as soon as he saw his young client's face.

Ash looked as though he had aged about 15 years since Scott had seen him last. His eyes were hardly open and a pair of dark bags had emerged underneath his tired orbs. Ash's hair was twice as disheveled as usual, his clothes were wrinkled, and he was standing hunched over.

"You look horrendous," Scott stated without hesitation.

"Wow, thanks so much Scott," Ash droned sarcastically.

"Well, you're not the one who gave birth!" Scott waved his hands around frantically.

"Babies like to cry," Ash groaned. "No, they _love _to cry. All night, Scott. Both of them cried _all _night."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Scott folded his arms, "but I have some news that might just cheer you up!" Scott watched as Ash doubled over a little more. "Err…or at least wake you up a little."

"I doubt it," Ash grumbled.

"Just listen," Scott smirked, pushing his sunglasses further up the bridge of his nose, "I explained to the tournament officials why you ran off the field yesterday. They understood completely and are willing to readmit you into the tournament!"

"Not a chance," Ash replied without thinking.

"What?" Scott blinked.

"You must be crazy," Ash sighed as he finally stood up to his full height. "My wife just gave birth! She's _weak_, Scott. And don't you think I'd like some family time?"

"That's very sweet and all Ash," Scott rubbed his temples, "but I really think you need to get back into this tournament. While the officials were understanding of your situation, much of the public is not."

"What, my wife going into labor isn't a viable excuse to ditch a battle?" Ash suddenly began to sound very irate. "So I'm guessing if I was dying on the field that wouldn't be feasible either."

"Don't get smart Ash," Scott heaved a sigh, "there are a lot of people who _really _aren't happy with what you did. It isn't a good representation of the Pokémon master's role."

"I was helping my wife!" Ash cried, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Ash, Misty is safe here, I can _assure_ you that," Scott tried to calm down the flustered young man. "I highly suggest you get yourself back to that stadium and finish up what you have to do."

"I'd love to see you present this wonderful plan to Misty," Ash retorted, "I'm sure she'll just _love t_he idea of me ditching her here with two newborn babies, especially when one isn't completely healthy! Yep, sounds like something Misty would _totally _support!"

After staring intently at Ash for almost a solid minute, Scott pushed back the doors that led down the hallway and began to walk down the corridor.

"Whoa, where are you going?" Ash followed after his manager, fire flashing through his tired russet eyes.

"I'm going to ask Misty what she thinks of this," Scott replied nonchalantly, "just like you asked me to."

"You must be _kidding _me, Scott!" Ash stormed. "She's gonna go _ballistic! _She needs to rest, Scott! And heal! The very last thing she needs is motivation to jump out of bed and kick your ass!"

Rolling his eyes, Scott finally found the door he was looking for and opened it up. Misty was the only person in the room, sitting up in bed as she rocked Aiden back and forth. The baby was wide awake and staring up at his mother with giant brown eyes. It was obvious that the child was transfixed by his mother's face, cooing quietly every now and then as Misty murmured to him in a sweet, calming voice.

"Hello there, dear."

Misty looked up towards the door and smiled at Scott, something she very rarely did.

"Hi Scott," Misty greeted before turning her attention back to Aiden. "Did you come to see the babies? I only have Aiden here right now."

"Where's Michelle?" Ash asked nervously.

"Dr. Aaron took her for more tests," Misty sighed sadly. Glancing at Ash, she showed him a gentle smile and continued, "But he said they're routine. I think she's okay."

"Misty, there's something I'd like to ask of you," Scott continued slowly.

"What is it?" Misty asked in a voice much more angelic than usual. Ash growled lowly. Of _course _Misty wasn't going to scream and shout in front of their baby boy. She was long gone into mother mode at this point.

"Well, you see, the officials from the tournament understand why Ash abandoned his battle yesterday, and they're willing to give him a second chance. If it would be alright with you, I think it would be in Ash's best interest if he were to re-enter the tournament."

Ash held his breath when he saw Misty's blank face. Yes, this was it! She was going to lose it. She would return to her normal self and call Scott a moron. He couldn't wait! But wait…why was her mouth bending into a sweet little smile?

"Oh, that's such good news!" Misty beamed, her eyes sparkling. "I felt so bad for tearing Ash away from his match. Good luck honey!"

"Misty, are you crazy?" Ash blinked.

"Of course not," Misty continued to grin as she rubbed Aiden's little nose. "This is a wonderful opportunity for you!"

"Misty, I'm not leaving you! Not in this condition!"

"What condition?" Misty asked confusedly. "I'm just fine, Ash. There are nurses and even doctors here if I need help. The babies are being perfectly sweet little things. I'm sure everything will be okay."

"Misty…" Ash whined.

"Don't Misty me," the red head's voice suddenly strengthened, "you're going back to that tournament. It's good for you, and this family." Aiden began to babble as he looked over at Ash, his eyes widening a little more. "See? Aiden wants you to go too."

At that moment, Brock walked into the room, a cup of coffee held in his hand.

"Brock, please talk some sense into these two," Ash motioned towards Scott and Misty.

"Why?" Brock tilted his head, "what's going on?"

"Ash has been granted permission to re-enter the tournament," Scott explained, "and he doesn't want to go." Brock gave Ash a bit of a surprised look, but Ash chose to ignore it.

"Tell him it's a good idea Brock," Misty pleaded. "I told him I'll be fine here with the babies, but he won't listen."

"Ash, Misty _will_ be just fine," Brock assured. "I'll even stay here with her, if it would make you feel better."

"No, it won't make me feel better," Ash ground his teeth together, "because I _don't _want to go!"

"Ash, please! Do it for me," Misty began to pout, and Ash's expression quickly softened. Misty knew her dear Pokémon master husband would never be able to say no to her patented sulk. She had him in the palm of her hand.

"Fine…" Ash grumbled, earning a pearly white grin from Misty.

"Wonderful!" Misty cheered. "Now, say goodbye to your little boy before you leave."

Ash finally showed off a sheepish smile as he moved closer to Misty, leaning down to nuzzle baby Aiden who was still looking curiously around the room.

"Good bye champ," Ash whispered to the newborn, "I'll be out battling. Can you behave for Mommy? Be good for her, okay?"

Aiden cooed softly and began to close his eyes.

"I just wish you could see Michelle before you go," Misty frowned. Ash nodded sadly in agreement as he leaned over to kiss Misty squarely on the lips.

"I'll miss you," Ash murmured, staring deeply into Misty's bright, jewel toned orbs.

"I will too," Misty smiled sweetly, "but this is what you need to do. I'll even watch you on TV. I promise."

Ash replied with a single nod and another kiss, this one right underneath Misty's jaw. She moaned quietly and let out a sad whine as he pulled away.

"You know," Ash stated with a sly smile, "I could stay here all day and do this."

"Nice try," Misty fluttered her eyelashes, "but you need to go battle."

Ash pouted, but his eyes shined with a gentle look of understanding. Misty nodded towards Scott, who was waiting rather impatiently for the young man. Chuckling, Ash threw Misty another smile before following Scott out the door.

**XXX**

"Ash is about to battle."

Misty nodded with a tired smile on her face. She was beginning to feel weak again. Since Ash had left, the gym leader had been having fun with Brock, chatting away and playing innocently with the little babies. But now she felt ready for a nice, long nap.

Aiden and Michelle were now resting in their plastic bassinets by the window. Aiden was busy making content noises to himself, while Michelle remained perfectly still and quiet.

"Are you going to watch?" Brock asked as he cast Misty a nervous look. "You seem a little tired."

"I am," Misty sighed, "but I want to see Ash battle."

"I think it'd be better for you to get some rest," Brock tried. He noticed Misty's body tremble from the cold. Smiling sympathetically, Brock pulled the covers all the way up over Misty's chest. "Ash would kill me if you got hypothermia."

Misty grinned at Brock's little tease and lowered her head deeper into the pillow. "Wake me up when Ash gets on the field, okay?"

"Alright," Brock patted Misty's shoulder. "Rest until then."

Misty replied with a gentle breath out. Chuckling, Brock moved over to the babies. He knew that when Misty was awake, she spent almost every minute staring at the children to make sure they were alright. It was a bit paranoid, but Brock could understand where her worry came from.

He first looked at Aiden, who was fast asleep. The boy had loosened his blue blanket enough to squirm around and free his arms and legs. Brock could already tell that the boy was taking after his father.

Brock next moved onto Michelle. But something seemed off about the angelic little red head. She wasn't moving at all. In fact, her chest was barely rising and falling. Brock gently tilted the baby's head to the right, and gasped loudly when he saw her face.

It was tinted a very light shade of purple.

"Misty!" Brock cried, racing over to the bed. He grabbed onto her shoulders and lightly but vigorously shook her awake. "Misty, wake up!"

"Hmm, what happened?" Misty asked groggily as she rubbed her eyes. "Is Ash battling yet?"

"No," Brock shook his head quickly. "Misty, something is wrong with Michelle!"

"What?" Misty shrieked. Without another word, she jumped out of bed, something that she _really _wasn't supposed to do. After nearly falling over, Misty made it over to Michelle's bassinet. She scooped up the little girl, nervously eyeing her tiny face. Upon seeing her violet tinted skin, Misty let out a small sob as tears pricked behind her eyes. "Get the doctor Brock!" Misty demanded strongly. "Hurry!"

Brock nodded and darted out of the room, leaving Misty alone to stare at her barely breathing daughter with tears spilling out of her dark green eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, another cliffhanger. Why? Because that's how I like to write my stories :P<strong>

**Uh, so...here's the thing. I'm going to another camp for another 2 weeks. The good news is that this camp is MUCH more fun (yay for it NOT being pre college!) and I'll have a much better time. The bad news is that I _won't_ have my laptop with me this time. I'd love to bring it, but I'm going to be on an airplane 3 times over the next 2 weeks, and bringing the computer along would be too much luggage.**

**I'm returning on the 13th (a Saturday) so the next chapter will probably be up on the 15th. If I can write it up before the 15th, then I'll definitely post it. Don't worry guys, this story isn't going ANYWHERE! I've worked way too hard on it.**

**I'm really sorry about this guys, because you're all such awesome readers and I greatly appreciate your suppourt. As soon as I come back, the updates will return to normal :)**

**So, until 2 weeks from now, keep reading, reviewing, and being awesome!**


	20. Always Together

**I'm baaaack! Have you all missed me? Probably not XD Anyways, here I am having survived one loooong week in Texas (August in Texas is very, very hot people) and then another, more relaxing week in California. It was lots of fun, but now it's back to work for me!**

**So, you may remember that in the last chapter, Brock found Michelle struggling to breathe. So what happens next? Keep on reading...**

* * *

><p>Misty sat up in her hospital bed, her hands tightly clutching the blankets. Her heart was beating so slowly she could clearly feel each and every beat reverberate through her body. Every part of her felt numb; both physically and emotionally.<p>

Dr. Aaron had whisked the baby away into the intensive care unit. Misty wasn't allowed to see her. And he hadn't returned since taking the little girl away.

And for some strange, almost horrible reason, the only thought that would go through Misty's head was: _what if Ash never gets to see her again? What if he never got to say goodbye?_

"Misty? Misty…"

The red head felt a hand on her shoulder, but she refused to look up from her firmly clenched hands.

"Misty, please," Brock continued, "you can't blame this on yourself. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Brock…" Misty breathed out heavily, "if my baby girl doesn't live…"

"Don't think like that Misty," Brock shook his head, "please. You need to believe in her Misty."

Misty shut her eyes tightly as some tears slid out of her eyes. Frowning wordlessly, Brock wrapped his strong arms around the gym leader and gave her a tight hug. During this embrace, the door to the room opened up. Misty hoped deeply in her heart that it was Dr. Aaron, but when she looked up, she saw Ash standing in the door frame.

"Hey guys…" Ash greeted confusedly. "You…okay?"

"Why are you so calm?" Misty choked out, her tears intensifying.

"What do you mean?" Ash furrowed his brow. "Misty, why are you crying?"

"He doesn't know?" Misty hiccupped, glancing at Brock. The Pokémon doctor breathed out shakily, and Misty sucked in a heavy amount of air. No longer able to hold back the truth, Brock sighed sadly and shook his head. "HOW COULD YOU NOT HAVE TOLD HIM?" Misty screamed, the tears flooding her eyes and overflowing down her cheeks.

"Told me what?" Ash asked with a weak voice. He moved closer to Misty, who was trembling like crazy as her face grew red with anger. "Misty, calm down honey!"

"I can't be CALM!" Misty shouted, smashing her fists against the bed. Looking back over at Brock, she snarled in the fiercest of tones, "You didn't freaking TELL HIM!"

"I tried!" Brock cried, running his hands down Misty's arms. "I tried, Misty. But I couldn't reach him. He was either on the field or not picking up his cell phone."

"My cell phone died," Ash confirmed, "I noticed it once I got back to the stadium. I forgot to charge it last night. I'm sorry Misty. What do you need to tell me?"

Misty's lips quivered and she let out another sob. "I can't…" Misty whimpered. "I…can't…" She broke down even further, doubling over and bawling uncontrollably.

"What the hell is going on?" Ash asked breathlessly.

"Ash…you might want to sit down," Brock breathed. Ash sat down close to Misty, rubbing her back and holding her close to him.

"Tell me what's happening Brock," Ash slowly shook his head.

"Well, Misty and I were settling down to watch your battle," Brock began, although his voice soon grew unsteady. "And I went to check on the babies. Aiden was asleep, but Michelle…her whole face was purple Ash."

"WH…what?" Ash blinked, his fingers clenching.

"She wasn't breathing, Ash," Brock ran a hand through his hair, his shoulders slumping miserably.

Ash said nothing in response. He dug his nails into his palms, his body beginning to shake almost violently.

"Is she…" Ash tried, but his throat began to grow tight. Clearing it as best as he could, Ash furiously rubbed at his eyes to try and hide his oncoming tears. "Is she alive?"

"Yes," Brock answered, causing Ash to take a sigh of relief and rest his head on Misty's shoulder.

"How is she?" Ash asked, completely void of emotion.

"We don't know," Brock lowered his head. "Dr. Aaron hasn't come back since he took her away. And we haven't been allowed to go see her."

"_What?_" Ash snarled, his head rising from Misty's shoulder. All of a sudden, Brock felt rather scared. He had _never _seen Ash this angry before. The young master's eyes were burning like fire, his mouth bent into a deep frown and his entire expression one of sheer fury. "Misty…" Ash glanced at his wife, "they won't let you see Michelle?"

"No," Misty wailed, burying her face in her hands.

"That is so _stupid!_" Ash yelled, jumping off the bed. "No one is going to stop _me _from seeing my little girl!" With a low growl, Ash stormed out of the room, his dark brown eyes glowing with such anger and fear that it was enough to frighten anyone out of his way.

Marching down the hallway with steely conviction, Ash conveniently ran into Dr. Aaron, who looked rather surprised by the expression on Ash's face.

"Ash, what is it?" Dr. Aaron inquired.

"Michelle, where is she?" Ash asked breathlessly.

"Ash, I'm sorry, you can't…" Dr. Aaron began, but the Pokémon master was quick to cut him off.

"I need to see her, doctor," Ash shook his head, "please let me see her. _Please. _No one even told me what happened to her. I just came back from this…_stupid_ tournament, only to find out my baby might be dying! Please…just let me see her."

Dr. Aaron thought it over for a moment, before reluctantly deciding, "Alright. I'll take you to her. But I'm going to warn you right now, you won't like what you're going to see."

At this, Ash hesitated, but he quickly shook it off. He didn't care. He _needed _to see his baby. Dr. Aaron led him down several hallways, which seemed to get darker and darker the further down they want. Ash shivered in the cool air that filled the corridors. Finally, the physician stopped in front of a large glass window, pointing at one of the specially crafted bassinets.

"There she is," Dr. Aaron announced softly, casting Ash a gentle glance. Breathing out, Ash stepped closer to the window and looked in, his heart pounding painfully.

The beautiful baby girl was hooked up to all kinds of machines and tubes, with an oxygen mask set securely on her tiny little face.

"Oh my…" Ash moaned quietly, his vision becoming blurry from the tears that were filling his downcast eyes.

"I'm so sorry," Dr. Aaron shook his head. "This is all my fault. I didn't think she'd end up in this situation. Her lungs didn't seem _this _weak when I examined her. I didn't know she'd take such a turn. I'm very sorry."

"It isn't your fault," Ash closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the cool glass. "I trust you. You're a doctor; you know better than I do. We can't always be right about everything. Just…tell me. Do you think she'll be okay?"

"I do," Dr. Aaron answered after a tense pause. "I do think she'll pull through. But I'm going to have to keep a very close eye on her. We might have to do something if her lungs don't start to improve."

"Like what?" Ash asked nervously.

"There are different procedures. It would depend on how much they've developed at a certain point. But let's hope she doesn't need any of them."

"Agreed," Ash swallowed thickly.

"I'll leave you alone for now," Dr. Aaron breathed quietly.

"Check on Misty," Ash suggested in a monotone voice. "She wasn't dealing well with this before. She was _really _upset."

"Alright," Dr. Aaron nodded and turned on a heel, leaving Ash alone with his thoughts and a sheet of glass between him and his newborn daughter.

"Michelle," Ash whispered, pressing his fingers against the cold window. "I'm so sorry princess. This isn't fair. You…you shouldn't be suffering like this." Closing his eyes again, the tears returned as Ash punched his leg and mumbled, "I never should've left."

He stood there alone for nearly ten minutes, feeling unable to move any part of his body. When the young Pokémon master felt someone brush up behind him, he didn't even flinch. He didn't want to move from this spot.

Ash only became slightly alarmed when the intruder leaned on his side, resting their head atop his broad shoulder. Turning a cautious head, Ash relaxed when he saw it was just Misty latent against him.

"Mist, shouldn't you be in bed?" Ash frowned.

"Yes, I should," Misty breathed out, not once taking her eyes off of Michelle.

"You won't go back, will you?" Ash exhaled as he turned his head back around to watch the little baby.

"No," Misty whispered, tightly squeezing Ash's side.

After a few moments of almost painful silence, Ash piped up, "Dr. Aaron thinks she's going to be okay."

"I know," Misty closed her eyes, "he told me about that too."

"What about you?" Ash whispered as he rubbed up and down Misty's side. He could feel the small bump that still resonated on her stomach, and let his fingers brush against it. Still not moving her eyes, Misty put her own hand on her midsection, wincing at the emptiness of it. "Do you think she'll be alright?"

"I don't know," Misty answered honestly but softly. "I certainly hope so." Ash nodded and rested his head against Misty's, blinking for what felt like the first time in almost fifteen minutes. "Ash, we can't stay here all day."

Ash opened his eyes and looked down at Misty. For the first time since her arrival at the window, Misty glanced up at her rather shocked husband, giving him a tired and miserable look.

"Why?" Ash asked quietly.

"We have to take care of Aiden," Misty looked back at their baby girl. "There's nothing else we can do for Michelle. Staring at her isn't going to do anything. For now, she's in Dr. Aaron's hands."

Ash bit his lip as more tears formed in his dull brown eyes. He knew Misty was right, but leaving Michelle just felt _so _wrong.

"Aiden needs us," Misty's weak voice broke through to Ash as she touched his face. "He's just a little baby. He needs his Mommy and Daddy to be there for him. We can visit Michelle, of course, but we can't just neglect our little boy."

"And we won't," Ash finally responded, rubbing at his eyes. Misty cooed softly and stood up on her toes to kiss Ash sweetly on his cheek. "We can go back now. I want to see Aiden."

Misty nodded and grabbed onto Ash's hand, looking back towards Michelle. She tried to say something, _anything_, but she just couldn't. For one of the first times in her life, Misty just didn't have the power to speak. Ash seemed to sense this from Misty as he eyed the sick infant and pressed his hand back against the glass, his breath quickly shuttering.

"See you later princess," Ash smiled sadly as Misty, who was still staring at Michelle, tightened her grip on his hand. "We'll be back," Ash assured in a hushed tone. "Just remember: you're never alone."

He looked down at Misty for approval. In turn, she offered a melancholy grin and a small nod. Ash gave Michelle one last look before walking away, Misty following closely behind with their hands still intertwined.

Trying to blink back tears, Misty sniffed quietly and once again cuddled up against Ash's side.

"Thank you," Misty finally choked out. Ash raised a curious eyebrow and gazed down at his emotionally drained wife.

"For what?" Ash inquired.

Breathing out softly, Misty closed her eyes and answered, "For not saying goodbye."

**XXX**

"Well…dis ain't good, is it?"

A peculiarly short nurse was peering into the window of the newborn intensive care unit, carefully studying the easily recognizable red headed baby.

"Of course not, you idiot!" Another nurse snapped, punching the smaller one over the head.

"Come on Jess, don't take it out on Meowth," a third nurse frowned, watching the feline Pokémon writhe in pain.

"James, this is a _disaster!" _Jessie growled, whipping off the sleek, silver framed glasses she'd been using as part of her disguise. "We needto snatch _both _of these babies for the boss! Not _one_! That just ruins the entire operation!"

"I know," James sulked, pressing both of his hands against the glass. "But the baby twerpette doesn't look too good."

Jessie snarled yet again, but her expression visibly softened when she set her eyes on Michelle. Despite receiving help from the oxygen mask, the child still seemed like she was having a hard time breathing. She was hooked up to so many machines that Jessie couldn't count them all. And to top it all off, the baby was just _so _tiny. Jessie was sure that her hand was hardly bigger than the newborn's head. It was just a truly pathetic sight overall.

"We can't take her Jess," Meowth frowned as he climbed back up from the floor. "It ain't right. Not even fer us."

"I know," Jessie grumbled her eyes half lidded in frustration.

"So what do we do?" James asked quietly, still wincing at the suffering child.

"We'll just have to wait until the baby gets better," Jessie retorted in a determined voice.

"But what if she doesn't?" James lowered his voice. "What if she…" Jessie interrupted the blue haired man with a fist over the head.

"Shut up James!" Jessie clenched her fists. "The baby is going to live! Don't _ever_ suggest such a thing!"

"I'm…sorry…" James murmured as he rubbed the sore spot. He watched carefully as Jessie let out another little huff and turned back to the glass, pressing her nose against the window as she stared at the twerps' suffering newborn.

"Jess?" Meowth whispered, gently tilting his head.

"She'll live," Jessie repeated before turning on a heel and gruffly marching away. James and Meowth shot each other curious looks, but decided to simply shrug off their female counterpart's strange actions and follow after her.

**XXX**

_Ash opened his eyes and found himself lying down in the grass, underneath a large oak tree. The shade provided by the massive tree was cool and soothing on this particularly hot day, and with a quiet moan and a little smile, Ash went to close his eyes again._

"_Daddy!"_

_Ash opened up one eye but found no one around him. So she shrugged and closed the eye again._

"_Daddy!"_

_Ash grunted softly and sat up, both of his eyes opening this time. He looked left to right but still saw nothing._

"_Aha!"_

_Suddenly, Ash felt something hard hit him in the chest as he went flying backwards. His head hitting the soft grass, Ash blinked crazily until his eyes went back into focus. Lying across the front of his body was a young boy, who looked to be about four or five years old. He had messy raven hair, bright chocolate brown eyes, and a mischievous little expression._

"_Aiden?" Ash asked quietly._

"_Hi Daddy," Aiden greeted with a giggle before resting his head on the older male's chest. "You were napping."_

"_Yeah, I was…" Ash breathed. This whole situation was very confusing to the Pokémon master. "Why'd you wake me up?"_

"_Mommy told me to."_

"_Mommy?" Ash sat up, pulling Aiden along with him. The little boy let out a content sigh and nestled closer into Ash._

"_Good work Aiden! I knew you could do it sweetheart."_

_Ash raised an eyebrow and looked towards the unfamiliar house. Standing just several feet away was Misty, her arms folded with a teasing smirk on her still beautiful face. It looked as though she had aged a bit, though not by much. Ash was still very attracted to her, and that was all that mattered._

"_Misty…" Ash whispered._

"_Hey, are you in there?" Misty asked playfully, moving closer to Ash. She sat down next to him, folding her legs as she ran a hand through Aiden's messy black mane. "Oh, our poor little boy is so tired."_

_Ash looked back down at Aiden and found the child half asleep. The older male pressed his son's head against his chest, gently rocking him until he was completely asleep in his arms._

"_There," Ash murmured, holding Aiden a little tighter._

"_You're such a good Daddy," Misty sighed, resting her head against Ash's shoulder._

"_Misty?" Ash asked with a blank expression on his face._

"_What is it dear?" Misty smiled boldly at her husband. The sweetness in her voice made Ash feel awful for the question he was about to ask her. In fact, maybe it would be better if he just left it alone._

"_Err, never mind. Forget I tried."_

"_No Ash, ask me," Misty frowned now, gently tugging at his arm. "I love you more than anything in the world. You can ask me anything you want."_

"_Where…where's Michelle, Misty?" Ash asked quietly, his cheeks glowing a fierce shade of red. They flushed instantly as soon as he saw Misty's face. It had grown blank, emotionless. Her brow and lips were straightened out, her shoulders shrugged slightly._

"_You know the answer to that, Ash," Misty whispered._

_Ash had a feeling he knew what the answer was, but he had to be sure. He couldn't just live on guesses. "No, I don't. Misty…what happened?"_

"_You know," Misty lowered her head, bright red hair falling over her tear filled eyes._

"_Misty…" Ash squeezed Aiden even more tightly, "did she…"_

"_Ash," Misty's head snapped up, her tone suddenly becoming extremely stern, "you know that she never made it out of the hospital. She isn't with us anymore. You _know _that!"_

_Ash let out a shuttered breath, his heart practically stopping. Gone. His precious baby girl was gone, just like that? No…no it couldn't be…_

_Suddenly, the world around Ash shattered. With one loud crashing noise, everything turned black, and Ash was all alone, floating in the darkness. No Misty, no Aiden. Nothing. So he did the only thing he could think of doing._

_He screamed._

**XXX**

"NO!"

Ash shot up, his heart racing and his body covered in a cold sweat. He was trembling violently, his dark brown eyes darting around the room. He grabbed at his chest, breathing so heavily he was at the point of hyperventilating.

"Ash!"

The Pokémon master gasped loudly as he felt a pair of hands press against him. Whipping his head to the right, Ash found Misty holding onto him, her emerald eyes looking frantic even in the darkness of the hospital room.

"M…Misty…" Ash stammered, his head left swimming as he gripped his chest a little more tightly.

"What happened sweetheart?" Misty asked quietly, moving her hand up to where Ash's was pressed over his chest. She separated it from his body, intertwining their fingers and moving her face closer to his own.

"I…had a nightmare…" Ash furrowed his brow before letting out a little sob, "oh Arceus it was terrible…"

"Do you want to talk about it?" Misty whispered.

"No," Ash answered immediately. "I don't want to think about it. Not anymore." Misty simply looked over Ash, slightly afraid of whatever it was that had rocked him in his sleep. "I want to see Michelle."

"Ash, honey, I don't think we can see her," Misty replied sympathetically. "It's past midnight."

"We can see her," Ash replied with a strong tone. "No one can stop us from seeing our baby. Come on; she needs us."

Just as Ash was about to climb out of bed, a nurse came into the room, causing Ash to throw himself back down and look up with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. She walked in holding Aiden, however, and not Michelle. Ash frowned, but quickly changed his facial expression. He did love his son, just as much as his daughter. He didn't want anyone to think otherwise, especially Misty.

"I'm sorry to disturb you…" the nurse began.

"Oh, it's fine," Misty shook her head before throwing a sad smile at Ash, "we were already awake."

"Your little boy is hungry," the nurse continued, moving closer to the couple. Indeed, the baby boy in her arms was whimpering and twisting his head around in all different directions; clearly looking around eagerly for his mother.

"Hi baby," Misty cooed softly, holding her arms out for the boy. Aiden pursed his lips and looked towards Misty, his cries quickly becoming more eager and excitable. She took her son into her arms, kissing the baby on his nose and positioning him in the crook of her arm. "You're hungry? Is that it?"

"You can just bring him back to the nursery once you're done," the nurse commented sweetly before she left the room.

"Wait, this is perfect!" Ash beamed, causing Misty to give him a confused look.

"What's perfect?"

"We can go see Michelle before we bring Aiden back to the nursery," Ash continued grinning from ear to ear. "I bet he would like to see his sister! The poor thing is probably so lonely without her."

"Ash, I don't think babies recognize each other until they get a little older," Misty replied while Aiden reached up to press his little hands against her bare shoulders.

"I bet not," Ash smirked as he slipped out of the bed. "Come on. When Aiden is finished, I'll show you."

**XXX**

Misty shivered as she walked down the hallway. It was _so _cold, and she couldn't figure out why. Aiden let out a little displeased cry, causing Misty to hold him closer to her chest.

"Shh, don't cry honey," Misty soothed, "Mommy is right here."

"Here we are," Ash whispered softly, stopping in front of the large window that he and Misty had become quite familiar with in the past few hours. Misty stood next to Ash, still gently bouncing the upset Aiden who had only grown more distressed since arriving in front of the glass.

"Wait…" Misty breathed, leaning in closer. "Is…is she crying?"

Ash gasped and pressed his nose against the window. Michelle was, in fact, weeping, her little arms and legs flailing as tears fell down her delicate young face.

"Michelle!" Ash hissed quietly. The baby was so upset…_his_ baby. Ash knew he had to do something, and fast.

After surveying the area and processing that no one was there, Ash moved towards the door that led into the closed off room. He pulled at the doorknob, but it did no good. The door was locked. Huffing quietly, Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of twine, sticking it into the lock and toying around until a soft, barely audible _click _sounded.

"Ash, are you insane?" Misty grew wide eyed, stroking the sobbing Aiden's soft hair.

"No," Ash gave Misty a little smirk, although she looked anything but amused. "Come on Misty, it'll be fine. I will do _anything _for our children. If that means breaking through a little lock, then yeah, I'll do it."

Twisting the knob again, Ash's grin widened when the door swung backwards. Misty simply blinked as Ash waltzed into the room, and she found no other choice but to follow behind him.

Ash was now bending down over Michelle's bassinet, a shaking hand gripping the plastic bed's side. He wasn't entirely sure of what to do; he didn't want to break the girl. But she was _so _upset…screaming and crying. Biting his lip, Ash lowered his hand into the bassinet and gently stroked Michelle's cheek.

"It's okay princess," Ash hushed, "Daddy's right here. I'm never going to leave you, not ever."

Aiden's cries intensified, and Misty found herself more drawn to her daughter's cradle. Finally winding up right next to the bassinet, Aiden's wails softened as he set his eyes on the little red head.

"Ash," Misty whispered, gently nudging her husband, "look."

Ash turned his head towards Aiden, and grew a little wide eyed at what he was seeing. Aiden was looking solely at Michelle, his big eyes blinking with his mouth pursed into a little 'O' shape. Michelle, on the other hand, was looking up at her brother, the tears that had just been sitting in her emerald orbs dissipating almost instantly. She suddenly looked very serene, despite all of the tubes that were attached to her little body.

Aiden let out a few rather happy noises, waving one of his little hands at Michelle. Michelle, in turn, lifted one of her own hands and reached up for Aiden. But it soon seemed to be too much for the little girl. She yawned softly beneath her mask and quickly fell asleep, Ash's hand still on her fair cheek.

"That…that was strange," Misty blinked, although her heart was warmed by the little scene.

"I told you they'd recognize each other," Ash looked up at Misty, excitement dancing through his chocolate brown eyes. Glancing back at Michelle, Ash whispered, "sweet dreams princess. We'll see you again tomorrow."

**XXX**

The next morning, after picking up Pikachu and his other Pokémon from the stadium's Pokémon center where they'd be left to heal, Ash headed back to the hospital and up to Misty's room.

"Pipika?" Pikachu asked; worry flashing through his beady eyes. On the way back to the hospital, Ash had explained to his partner Pokémon all that had happened in the past 24 hours, and now the little electric mouse was deeply concerned for his trainer's baby daughter.

"Michelle is going to be okay, I think," Ash smiled sympathetically as he placed a hand on the doorknob that would lead him into Misty's room. "We just have to wait and see."

"Pi," Pikachu sighed, his ears falling. Ash scratched behind those slender ears, twisting the handle and entering the room. As soon as he walked in, his heart sped up and his eyes grew comically wide.

Brock was sitting by the window, Aiden cradled in his arms. The boy was awake, reaching up for his godfather and babbling nonsense. Misty was sitting up in her bed, her eyes set down upon her own folded arms.

The arms that held her and Ash's baby daughter.

"Misty?" Ash asked, carefully approaching the happy gym leader.

"Pipika?" Pikachu breathed, looking down at the pink bundle.

"Hi Ash," Misty greeted with a cheeky smile, "would you like to say good morning to our beautiful little girl?"

"Mi…Michelle…" Ash stammered, moving closer to Misty. He sat down on the bed, gently taking the child from Misty's arms. Cradling Michelle, Ash watched as her emerald eyes scanned over his face, a look of peace overtaking her tiny features. Looking back at Misty, Ash asked, "Is she alright now?"

"Her lungs are still a bit weak, Dr. Aaron said," Misty explained, "but they're stronger than they were yesterday. He said her breathing might still be a little shallow, but that she shouldn't have another incident like we had yesterday. That seems to be a one off thing."

"Is he sure?" Ash took in a heavy breath.

"Yes," Misty beamed, "he said he was positive."

"Pipika!" Pikachu squealed, jumping off of Ash's shoulder. Overcome with happiness, Pikachu began licking Michelle's cheek, causing the baby to shriek and squirm excitedly.

"Pikachu, don't scare her!" Ash chuckled, holding the girl even more closely.

"Do you want some more good news?" Misty asked with twinkling eyes.

"What could be better than this?" Ash beamed, motioning his head down towards Michelle.

"How about the fact that I can leave tomorrow morning?" Misty asked, giggling sweetly when a shocked look overtook Ash's face.

"Really?" Ash blinked.

"Yep," Misty nodded feverously. "Dr. Aaron just wants me and the babies to stay one more night for observation. But after that, we're all free to go."

"That's great!" Ash cheered, leaning back to kiss Misty on the cheek. "We can finally go home and show everyone our beautiful little babies!"

"That's right," Misty smiled, brushing back some of her copper hair.

"Oh," Ash whispered suddenly, glancing back at Michelle.

"Is everything okay sweetheart?" Misty asked, her heart becoming plagued with nervousness.

"Yeah…" Ash stammered before looking over his shoulder. "Brock? Would it be alright if I talked to Misty alone for a minute?"

"Sure, no problem!" Brock offered the Pokémon master a sugary smile. He handed Aiden off to Misty and walked out the door, closing it snugly behind.

"What do you want to talk about Ash?" Misty breathed. "Is everything alright? Nothing happened to you at the Pokémon center, right?"

"Oh no, everything is fine," Ash gave Misty a reassuring smile. "I just…kind of got to thinking when I was walking back here. That's all."

"Oh," Misty looked down at Aiden and smiled lovingly. "Thinking about what?"

"Us," Ash darted his eyes between himself and Misty, "all four of us, actually. Our whole family."

"Family, I love that word," Misty squealed softly, raising Aiden up to her face to kiss his cheeks.

"Right…" Ash laughed nervously, "Actually, that's kind of what I want to talk to you about." Misty looked back at Ash, to indicate she was listening. Sighing heavily, Ash continued, "I love you Misty. I love you _so _much. And now I feel the same way about Aiden and Michelle. If I lost _any _of you…I don't know what I'd do. The three of you mean the world to me. Nothing compares to having you all in my life."

"Ash…" Misty breathed, happy tears threatening. She knew Ash was capable of getting very sweet and mushy, but it wasn't often that he broke down like this. It always made her so happy when he did, however.

"But, that's the thing," Ash went on. "The thought of losing any of you just destroys me. And this whole ordeal has been too much for me. Between you losing too much blood and Michelle…" Ash shuttered, not wanting to mention out loud how close their daughter had come to death. "It was all too much. So, I think it would be best for all of us if we didn't have any more children."

"WH…what?" Misty quickly became crestfallen. How could something that had started off _so _sweet turn to something so hurtful?

"Misty, I would _love_ to have more children with you," Ash tried to comfort the visibly upset gym leader, "so this decision hurts me just as much as it hurts you. I don't like the idea of it either. But we just had so many problems with your pregnancy. First we had your condition, then Team Rocket…" Ash trailed off, his hands clutching baby Michelle a little more tightly.

"I…I understand," Misty whispered, though her heart panged with sadness.

"I'm really sorry…" Ash began.

"No Ash, it's okay," Misty furrowed her brow to make it look like she was in deep thought. "You're right. This was very dangerous. Dangerous for all of us. Raising Aiden and Michelle in order to give them a happy and healthy life is all I really need."

"So…you're okay with it?" Ash asked with an unsure hedge in his voice. Part of him was hoping Misty would just yell no, forcing him to take it all back. But no such thing happened.

"Yeah," Misty gave Ash a little smile and nodded. "No more babies."

* * *

><p><strong>Oooh, what did those two just agree to?<strong>

**So, there's...this chapter for you. A sweet, but also melancholy addition. I will try my absolute best to have the next one out on it's usual time, but it might come late. I haven't been able to write as much as I usually can (being away for 2 weeks without a laptop or any spare time will do that to you) and I want to make sure that the chapter I write is satisfactory. I'm also suffering from some pretty bad jet lag (my body is running 3 hours behind my local time and I've been waking up at 2 pm everyday since I got home) and trying to fight through it. So you WILL get a new chapter (of course!) I'm just not sure if it'll be on time.**

**And that's pretty much it for this chapter! The response to this story is still awesome (I wonder if we could hit 200 reviews before the story's end...) and I'm just thrilled that you guys are enjoying it! So thank you lots!**

**Until next time, dear readers!**


	21. Reality Bites

**Back. On. Track!**

**Yes, I have finally finished this chapter! I was thinking about saving it for next week, but I figured you've all waited long enough. Besides, with a major hurricane hitting where I live, I don't know how my power situation is gonna be from tomorrow into next week. Hopefully it won't go out at all, but it's not sounding too good right now.**

**So, I think I've tortured you all enough. Onto the story!**

* * *

><p>"It feels <em>so <em>good to be free!"

Ash chuckled as Misty stood outside the hospital, beaming at him with her bright emerald eyes. He knew very well that his pretty wife was not a fan of hospitals, so getting out of the overly sterilized environment might as well have been a holiday for Misty.

"I'm glad to see you so happy," Ash quipped, lifting Aiden further up on his chest so the boy's head was resting on his shoulder. As a result, Pikachu had been relegated to the opposite shoulder for the time being.

"As long as I have my babies and they're okay, then I'm happy," Misty's eyes continued to twinkle as she set them on a sleeping baby Michelle. "Where's Brock? Is he ready to go yet?"

"Yeah, he should be," Ash gently bent his brow, "I wonder where he went off to?"

"I'm right here!" Brock's voice suddenly announced as he marched over to the young couple.

"Where have you been?" Ash blinked.

"Oh, they had a little supplies place right down the road," Brock motioned towards it with his head, "I figured I should pick some stuff up before we get on the boat. It was great! I got some more medicines for both people and Pokémon, some ingredients to test out new types of Pokémon food…"

"That sounds wonderful Brock," Misty interrupted in a dull tone, "but if you don't mind, could we please get going? I'm rather exhausted and," she turned around to glare at the tall white building that stood behind her, "I don't like being in the proximity of these places."

"No problem," Brock smiled at the worn red head, turning on a heel. "We can walk right this way to the dock."

Ash and Misty followed slowly after the Pokémon doctor, each one taking a slow and careful pace for fear of dropping or injuring one of the babies. Brock didn't mind in the slightest, humming quietly to himself as the group walked along the grass bordered path.

After a lengthy, albeit stress free walk, the group finally reached the boat that would take them back to Kanto. It would take about a full day to get back, so there were bedrooms and even places to eat on the boat. Misty's first wish was to sit outside on the deck and relax in the warm, tropical sunshine, but Ash wasn't so keen on the idea.

"Well why not?" Misty sulked.

"Well, you just got out of the hospital," Ash reasoned, "I think it would be best for you to stay in the room and get some rest. Besides, we have to get used to having the babies around. You're going to need to take care of them."

"Excuse me," Misty narrowed her eyes, "but they're _your _children too. I'm not doing all of the work myself, mister."

"Of course not," Ash chuckled gently at the notion, "but that doesn't excuse the fact that you still need to catch up on rest."

"But…" Misty tried to argue, but Ash was quick to cut her off.

"Here, let me take you to the room," Ash smiled angelically at his wife, who in turn looked quite aggravated with him.

Once she was settled in the room, Ash left the twins in a crib that had been set up in the corner of the room. He quickly walked back to Misty and gave her a kiss on the head before walking back towards the bedroom door.

"Hey, where are you going?" Misty frowned.

"I have to go outside on the deck," Ash explained, "you know how Scott went home ahead of us? Well, he said he had a few important things he needed to talk to me about over the phone. So I'm just gonna take care of that now."

"And leave me all alone?" Misty scowled.

"Just for a little while," Ash comforted, "don't worry angel. I'll be back before you know it."

As soon as Ash turned and shut the door behind him, Misty let out a dissatisfied groan and threw herself down on the bed. And not long after that, one of the babies began to cry hysterically. Moaning, Misty covered her eyes before jumping up to retrieve the infant. This was definitely going to be one _long _boat ride.

**XXX**

"You imbeciles!"

Jessie, James, and Meowth all ducked down to the floor. Giovanni was leaning over his desk, angrily glaring at the trio with contempt filled eyes.

"We…we were going to tell you sir!" James began, his voice quaking nervously.

"Yeah, ya' gotta believe us!" Meowth groveled, his eyes closing tightly.

"They were planning no such thing."

The three operatives turned their heads towards the darkened corner of the office. Giovanni, meanwhile, didn't bother to turn around. He simply let out a low sigh and leaned back in his heavy leather chair.

"And why should I trust you, Alec? Your mission was also a complete failure."

"At least mine was a direct order, sir," Alec let his narrowed black eyes land on the trembling operatives, "unlike those three, who go about their own business."

"Now see here!" Jessie stormed, jumping to her feet.

"Alec is correct," Giovanni interrupted, lacing his fingers together. "You three went completely behind my back, only to fail. Can you give me _any _reason as to why I shouldn't exile each and every one of you from this organization?"

"It won't happen again sir!" James sat up and clasped his hands together. "Really, it won't!"

"What if we went on another mission, this time under your orders?" Jessie suggested, her eyes clouding over in serious thought. "And this time, we'll succeed."

"How foolish," Alec chuckled, folding his hands behind his back.

"You seem quite determined about this," Giovanni scanned his narrowed eyes over the magenta haired woman; "you've planned something out, haven't you?"

"Of course," Jessie smirked, planting her hands firmly on her hips.

Giovanni thought carefully for a moment before leaning forward in his chair, resting his elbows against the desk. "Enlighten me."

**XXX**

Nearly three hours later, Ash stepped back into the room, a wide smile spread across his handsome face. That smile disappeared instantly, however, when he locked eyed with Misty.

She had exhaustion written all over her face, a crying Michelle held weakly in her arms. Ash gasped quietly and moved closer to Misty, gently taking the baby from her.

"Misty, are you alright?" Ash asked quietly.

Misty looked down at the miserable baby girl, closing her eyes sadly. She crawled away from Ash, throwing herself down so her head hit the pillows. Ash stroked Michelle's soft hair and got off the bed, once again moving closer to Misty.

"Misty?" Ash whispered.

"Leave me alone," Misty grumbled, turning so her back was facing Ash.

Ash frowned and went back to work on trying to soothe Michelle. After bouncing her around for a few minutes and murmuring sweetly to her, the baby fell asleep. Smiling softly, Ash gave her a kiss on the forehead before putting her back in the crib. Turning on a heel, Ash now turned his attention back to Misty.

"Why are you so upset?" Ash prodded, climbing onto the bed so he was next to Misty. She kept her eyes shut and said nothing in response. "Misty…"

"Ash, just _shut up_," Misty grumbled, burying her face into a pillow. At this, Ash shot up, a rather fierce sting traveling through his body. Misty was actually _really _angry with him! He had to find out why.

"Misty, are you upset with me?" Ash just wanted to be certain.

Misty slowly raised her head, shooting Ash an incredulous glare. He gulped silently and Misty's glower slowly melted into a sneer, which she supplemented with, "wow. Did you _just _figure that one out?" And, just as quickly as it had appeared, the sneer was replaced with a look of disdain. "You really are dense, aren't you?"

"Why are you so angry with me?" Ash asked, the shock he had been experiencing within his body transitioning into a terrible numbness.

"Don't worry honey, I'll be right back," Misty imitated Ash with a false smile and a mocking tone. When she saw the realization ripple across his face, Misty's mouth bent back into a frown as she added in her own, fuming voice, "three hours later."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Ash leaned in closer to Misty, who gave him a slap on the side of his face. It wasn't full force, like the one she had given him when they first met, but it wasn't light and playful either. It was just enough to leave a little sting on Ash's now rosy red cheek. "But you know I wouldn't do that on purpose. Not ever. Scott just wouldn't stop talking, and…"

"You should've told him to shut it," Misty accused, her dark green eyes narrowing. "Seriously, he _knows _what's going on! He was here! And you just gave into him like it was nothing."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Ash continued to apologize. "I'll tell him off next time. I promise."

"No, you _always_ promise that!" Misty whined, sitting up on her knees so she was eye to eye with her fretful husband. "Ash, I swear, sometimes you're too nice for your own good! You keep giving and giving, and that makes you forget the _important_ things!" Ash simply blinked in response, so Misty let out an agitated sigh and continued on with her rant. "I wanted to spend time _alone _with you, Ash. Just you, me, and the babies. I thought even you and I could get some time to ourselves when the twins fell asleep. But we couldn't. You've been out _all _afternoon. And you know what? The babies don't sleep! They just cry! All afternoon, it's been nothing but them screaming for reasons I can't figure out, because it all sounds the same, and I think maybe it might've been easier if _someone _had been here to help me! Someone like, I don't know…my husband?"

"Misty…" Ash breathed out, his voice quavering, "you're…you're right. You're completely right. I'm so sorry. From now on, you three come before _anything. _Any other person, or demand, even before my own job."

"Ash you're the Pokémon master for Arceus' sake," Misty groaned, rubbing her temples. "You can't just _abandon _your job! It isn't possible."

"But Misty…" Ash tried.

"Look Ash, it isn't that I'm mad at you," Misty grumbled, lowering her hands so she could nervously twist her fingers together to try and relieve her stress. "I understand that this job is your dream. It always has been. I'm not going to keep you from it."

"But you're my dream too," Ash whispered, pressing his forehead against Misty's.

"Maybe so," Misty let out a shuttered breath, "but your first dream has always been becoming the Pokémon master. It was your dream _way _before I ever showed up." Misty gently pushed Ash away from her so she could lie back down. "I'm sorry, I'm just tired."

"I understand," Ash murmured, brushing his fingers up and down Misty's arm. "You should get some rest. But I love you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah," Misty mumbled, snuggling deeper into the bed.

As Ash went to lie down next to her, the sound of tiny whimpers caused him to alertly raise his head. He glanced down at Misty, who kept her eyes shut but furrowed her brow in deep frustration. The cries became increasingly louder, until finally Misty slammed a fist against the mattress and pulled herself up.

"No Misty," Ash hushed, gently grabbing the young woman's shoulders and pulling her back down. "You rest. I'll take care of them. It's alright."

Misty let out a shallow breath before reluctantly putting her head back down. As Ash slipped out of bed, Misty looked lazily over her shoulder and found Ash lifting a hysterical Aiden out of his crib. It only took about a minute for him to settle the child down, and Ash sealed the action with a smile and a kiss to Aiden's head.

Misty, meanwhile, looked back to the wall that sat in front of her, while broodingly thinking about what a terrible mother she was.

**XXX**

The family's return to Pallet the next day was exciting, to say the least.

Delia had gone positively _insane _over the babies. Ash was sure he'd never seen his mother get so _thrilled_ by anything else before them. She had squealed and shrieked and instantly taken both of the infants into her arms in order to coo and fuss over them. All of the noise had woken up Aiden who, instead of getting upset, simply looked up at his grandmother with curious brown eyes.

"Oh, hello there sweetheart!" Delia greeted, her face glowing with such great joy that even the downtrodden Misty was finding herself to be smiling. "Well, aren't you just the cutest little boy I've ever seen?"

"Hey," Ash pouted as he crossed his arms over his chest. From his shoulder, Pikachu laughed teasingly at his trainer, who in turn deepened his sulk.

"They're both so beautiful," Delia murmured, waltzing into the family room. Ash, Misty, and Brock followed behind, Delia giggling as she placed both of the children in their perspective cradles. "Such darlings!" She stood up straight and turned towards the other adults, her light auburn eyes sparkling with light. "You three must be so tired. Especially you Misty!"

"Yeah, I guess," Misty ran a hand through her soft red hair. Her smile had faded back into a frown, and Ash was now glancing worriedly at her.

"I think I'll make some tea for all of us," Delia announced, moving towards the kitchen.

"Oh, you don't have to make any for me," Misty piped up in a small voice. Delia turned around and looked Misty over with concern.

"Are you alright dear?"

"Yeah, fine," Misty looked down at her feet. "I just want to get some sleep, I think. Do you mind if I go upstairs to mine and Ash's room?"

"Not at all!" Delia quickly shook her head. "You go right on upstairs. And don't worry about the babies. I'd be happy to take care of them for now!"

"Thank you," Misty gave a small nod before walking off in the direction of the stairs. Ash watched her go and then hurried after his mother, something slowly sparking in his mind.

"Hey Mom," Ash began, nervously wringing his hands together. Delia turned her head slightly, to indicate that she was listening. "I kind of think something might be wrong with Misty…"

"What do you mean dear?" Delia frowned, heating up the water she needed.

"Well…she's just been _so _miserable, ever since last night." Ash folded his arms and twisted his mouth in deep thought. "You'd think she'd be so happy right now. And she was! Up until last night. I mean…we have the two cutest babies I've ever seen! Misty's got the family I know she's always dreamed of. So why isn't she happy?"

Delia sighed and looked into her son's pained russet eyes. She could tell that all the young man wanted was for his wife to be happy. Misty meant the world to him, after all, and seeing her upset simply wasn't acceptable for the raven haired master.

"I may have an idea of what's going on," Delia answered slowly, "and if I'm right, then it isn't Misty's fault."

"What do you mean?" Ash murmured.

"Ash dear…I'm afraid Misty might be depressed."

"Depressed?" Ash repeated. That hardly seemed feasible to the young man. "Why in the world would she be depressed?"

"It isn't easy Ash," Delia explained, "You have two new babies instead of just one. And Michelle isn't completely healthy, the poor thing. Misty probably just feels very overwhelmed by everything."

"So what do I do?" Ash whimpered.

"Just help her out," Delia smiled sweetly as she touched Ash's shoulder. "Make sure you show her lots of love, and take good care of the babies. Just be the sweet and wonderful husband she and both I know you are."

Ash opened his mouth to respond, but was quickly cut off by a startling shriek; a loud scream that sounded like it was coming from upstairs.

"What in the world was that?" Delia gasped, her first thought being the babies' safety.

"Misty!" Ash cried after a short moment of deliberation. He spun around and darted up the stairs, Delia watching after him with great concern.

The Pokémon master hurried down the hallway, stopping himself at the guest room by grabbing onto the door frame. He leaned in carefully to make sure it was in fact Misty sobbing. It only took a few seconds for Ash to confirm his suspicions.

"Misty," Ash called softly. Her screaming stopped, although she continued to whimper violently. Running into the room, Ash stopped by the side of the bed and looked down at his wife. Her eyes were closed and her lips were trembling, her fingers busily flexing as she anxiously twisted her head left to right.

"She's asleep," Ash mumbled darkly to himself. Leaning down, he gently shook the red head's shoulder, trying desperately to wake her up. "Misty! Misty, come on. You've gotta wake up."

Misty's eyes snapped open as she let out a harsh gasp, her hands flying up in order to clutch Ash's shirt. She pulled him down towards herself and brushed her face up against his, deeply breathing in and out.

"Whoa!" Ash tried to pry himself away from Misty, but with no such luck. "Mist, are you alright? What was that all about?"

Misty began panting again as she slowly pulled herself away from Ash. Turning her dark eyes upwards, Misty seemed to just realize it was Ash she was holding onto. Moaning softly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Ash frowned and began rubbing her back before lightly putting her back down onto the bed.

"Misty," Ash tried again as he sat down next to the flustered young woman, "what was that about?"

"I…" Misty began, reaching towards her heart, "I had a nightmare…"

"About what?" Ash asked softly as he stroked her cheek. At that delicate touch, Misty burst out into tears, sitting up in order to draw her knees close to her chest. Ash, in turn, grew wide eyed at his wife's reaction.

"It…it was about the babies," Misty whispered miserably, rubbing furiously at her puffy, tear filled eyes.

"What happened?" Ash asked sweetly, hoping to coax an answer out of the visibly upset gym leader. "You can tell me, sweetheart."

"No," Misty sniffed, hugging her legs closer to herself, "you'll get upset with me."

"No I won't. I would never get angry with you for having a nightmare, honey. I want to help you. But I can't do that unless you tell me what the nightmare was about."

Taking a deep breath, Misty made sure to look away from Ash before murmuring, "it was awful. The babies…they got hurt."

"Hurt?" Ash whispered. Misty nodded in corroboration. "What hurt them?"

"A person," Misty replied quietly, "a very bad person."

"Who?" Ash's eyes burned, "Team Rocket?"

"No."

"Then who?"

Lowering her legs and wrapping her arms around herself, Misty turned sharply towards Ash and answered strongly and miserably, "me."

"Y…you?" Ash's head lowered.

"I don't understand why I would ever, _ever_ dream of that!" Misty stormed, fresh tears forming in her dark emerald eyes. "I would never hurt our babies, Ash! You have to believe me, I wouldn't!"

"I know you wouldn't," Ash hushed, rubbing her shoulders, "it's okay Mist."

"No it isn't!" Misty sobbed. "I would've _died _for them Ash! I…what kind of a mother has dreams like that?"

"Don't freak yourself out," Ash wrapped his arms around Misty's trembling body. "I think you're just really tired is all. Why don't you try and go back to sleep?"

"No," Misty frantically shook her head, "I don't want to have another dream. Please…no."

"But Misty, you need rest."

"_Rest_, not sleep," Misty growled lowly. "I'll just lay here, thank you very much."

"Alright," Ash threw his hands up in surrender and began to back out of the room. "Just…call me if you need anything. Okay?"

"Yes," Misty grumbled, her eyes looking just as dull as they had before. Ash sighed sadly and walked completely out of the room, his mind racing rather furiously.

What in the world was he supposed to do about Misty?

* * *

><p><strong>Poor Misty. All of the stress has really gotten to her.<strong>

**Now, my updates will not be as strict as they were before. I simply cannot get a new chapter up every Monday and Thursday. They're going to be alot more sporadic, just whenever I can get things up. But don't worry, they'll go up, and you'll enjoy them! Err...hopefully :)**

**Thank you for your patience during my little melt down. I always knew I had awesome readers! I mean...we're only 8 reviews away from 200! That's CRAZY! Thank you thank you thank you!**

**Good bye until next time! And for everyone on the east coast of America (such as where I am) watch out for the hurricane! Everyone keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best :) Next time you hear from me, it'll be another update!**


	22. Rockets Won't Rest

**Ciao! Look how quickly I finished this chapter everyone! Haha, this one just came to me, don't know why! There's alot of action, and I usually don't like writing action, but I just couldn't stop typing this one up!**

**Needless to say, I'm quite proud of this chapter. I think it came out pretty well because I was just so into it while I was writing. So how's about I shut up and you can all go ahead and read the latest installment? That sounds good to me :P**

* * *

><p>"Brock, what am I going to do? She's <em>so <em>miserable."

"You can't really blame her Ash," Brock frowned. He was cradling Aiden and feeding him a bottle, seeing as Misty hadn't wanted to go anywhere near the babies as of late. "This is beyond her control. If she could be happier, then she would be. I'm sure she hates feeling like this."

"I know she does," Ash gave a nod, "and I'm not accusing her of making this all up. I know she can't do anything about it. But _I _want to do something about it."

"You can do even less than she can, I'm afraid."

"It's not fair," Ash growled lowly. "I'm her husband. I should be able to take care of her, no matter what's going on. This isn't fair."

"You could try talking to the doctor," Brock suggested.

"What good will that do me?" Ash grumbled. "You and Mom both told me there's nothing we can really do. We just have to wait it out. I don't want to, but it looks like that's our only choice."

"I really am sorry Ash," Brock slowly shook his head.

"Me too," Ash grumbled as he rested his head in his hand.

**XXX**

"Jess, are you sure this is going to work?"

Jessie retrieved the paper fan she'd been using to cool herself off and smacked James over the head with it, causing him to yelp in pain.

"Of course it'll work," Jessie huffed. "I've planned everything out _very _carefully."

"It bettah woik," Meowth furrowed his brow, "we spent all our savins on dis robot!"

"Look, we're already on the boss's bad side," Jessie planted her hands firmly on her hips, "and its no thanks to that little pest Allan."

"I believe his name is Alec," James raised his pointer finger in exclamation.

"Oh yeah, dat elite agent!" Meowth nodded. "He was a real cool guy, huh?" Jessie growled and took out the fan again, this time assaulting Meowth with it. "OUCH!"

"Do _not _call that mindless little nuisance "cool"!" Jessie cried. "He is anything _but. _You saw how he acted in the boss's office. He would love nothing more than to watch us get kicked to the curb. Which is exactly why we're not going to let that happen!"

"Jessie, I still think that taking the twerps' babies is wrong," James sulked, "especially after the little girl was so sick."

"Now James, you know I would never harm a sick baby," Jessie replied very seriously, a darkness being reflected on her somber face. She quickly shook it off, however, and added with renewed fervor, "and we're not going to hurt them. I wouldn't think of it. All we need to do is scoop them up using our brand new machine, and we'll be back with the boss's good graces!"

"Jessie…" Meowth frowned.

"Oh, enough of your interruptions!" Jessie fumed. "We're heading right over to Pallet Town to get those babies! I'll get my hands on those two if it's the last thing I do."

**XXX**

"Who has the cutest face ever?" Ash cooed in a sing song voice as he held Michelle under the arms, rocking her back and forth. "You do!"

Michelle squealed delightfully and reached out for Ash, excitedly opening and closing her hands. Ash chuckled and moved the baby closer to him so she could touch his face. Michelle, being so small, young, and unable to do much, simply stuck her tongue out and brushed her palms against Ash's cheeks.

As Ash lowered the baby into the crook of his arm, he heard someone walking down the stairs. He looked over his shoulder and saw Misty, her face looking rather serene, though still upset.

"Misty, how come you aren't resting?" Ash frowned.

"Because I'm sick of resting," Misty grumbled, walking straight past the bewildered Pokémon master. She headed straight for the kitchen, completely ignoring the two babies in the room. Ash sighed sadly and looked down at Michelle, whose big green eyes were scanning him curiously.

"I'm sorry you haven't seen your Mommy in the last few days princess," Ash murmured, "she's just…upset, that's all."

Michelle didn't seem to understand what Ash had said. She simply cooed and buried her face into his lower chest.

As Ash tended to the little girl, a loud crashing sound from outside instantly caught Ash's attention. Michelle whined softly, the noise clearly disturbing her some. Ash frowned and gave her a little kiss before hiding her away in the nearby bassinet.

"I'll be back in a minute sweetheart," Ash hushed as he patted Michelle's head, "but something's going on and I need to find out what."

He ran outside, not bothering to grab a coat as he did so. The cold December air bit harshly at his exposed skin, but Ash didn't show the affliction on his face. He was too used to the elements to carry on about such a trivial thing. Looking around, Ash didn't see much out of the ordinary until he looked dead ahead. Two giant foot prints were imbedded into the shallow layer of snow. The prints were so deep that the frozen over grass could be clearly seen in the imprints.

"What is that from?" Ash murmured. "Some kind of Pokémon?"

"Think again twerp!"

"Huh?" Ash gasped, looking up towards the sky. There were only three people he knew of who called him twerp.

Up in the sky, a giant robot was hovering right in front of Ash, its heavy metal body being kept afloat by two high powered rockets sticking out of its feet. The machine also had two retractable arms and a covered glass dome on the top, where Ash could see the familiar Team Rocket trio sitting and looking down at him with sneaky glances.

"Team Rocket," Ash growled lowly as his brown eyes burned. "What are you doing here? Don't you think I've had enough of you three losers?"

"The feeling is mutual," Jessie replied in a flippant tone. "We're just here to collect our game and then we'll be out of your tangled, unkempt hair."

"You're not getting anything!" Ash barked as he self consciously tugged at his unruly black locks. "You guys must be absolutely stupid to think I'd let you do anything at my own home!"

"You know Jess," James looked over at his female counterpart with a sly little grin, "being back here with the twerp makes me long for the old days of our original motto."

"Yeah, what a classic!" Meowth agreed.

"Perhaps we should recite it for old time's sake," James smiled at Meowth, "it certainly would be wonderful for nostalgic purposes."

"Save it for later!" Jessie stormed, instantly quieting her male teammates. "Right now we have to focus solely on the mission."

With a flick of the wrist, Jessie flipped a switch that sent the robot's right arm flying towards Ash. He gasped and jumped out of the way, his body falling messily into the thin snow. Chuckling menacingly, Jessie directed the slender appendage towards the window, busting it open so the glass shattered everywhere. James then proceeded to press a fairly large button, which brought down a large flat screen. Thanks to the camera mounted on the robot's wrist, the inside of Ash's childhood home was clearly visible to the trio. Jessie located the two lacey bassinets sitting side by side and smiled boldly.

"Excellent," she murmured fondly to no one in particular.

"Maybe you should grab the boy foist," Meowth suggested, "he'll be hardah tah nab dan his sistah."

"Good thinking, for once," Jessie smirked. She moved the arm further until it hung right over the cradle that was adorned with a light blue ribbon. A sleeping baby Aiden came into view on the screen, his slumber clearly unaffected by the giant robot arm hanging over his little head. Pressing and moving some more intricate switches, the robot's hand scooped up the baby before transforming into a basket.

This sudden movement did the trick in awaking Aiden. He let out a little squeak and looked around confusedly. Seeing the unfamiliar and intimidating metal walls surrounding him, Aiden became absolutely terrified and began to cry his little eyes out.

Misty, who was in the kitchen looking for something to eat, stopped in her tracks. She was used to hearing the babies cry of course. They did that often, although Ash seemed much better at calming them down than she did. Misty assumed that perhaps the babies didn't love her the way she loved them. And that only worsened her depression.

But this cry…it was different. This wasn't the typical high pitched wails of being hungry, tired, or just plain crying. No.

They sounded like screams of terror. Cries of fear.

Something in Misty's heart was telling her that there was something very wrong in the living room. Without a sound, Misty swiftly moved into the next room, where she saw the robot arm sliding effortlessly out of the now broken window. Running over to the bassinets, Misty found Michelle awake but wide eyed, and Aiden…gone.

She looked back towards the arm and noticed a metal basket perched on the end of the long, slender appendage. _That's _where the crying was coming from. And it sounded more and more tortured by the minute.

"Aiden!" Misty cried out. Horror gripped her heart like nothing she'd ever felt before. Misty knew if she couldn't save the boy…she would die.

The arm slipped out of the window much too fast for Misty to grab onto it, but that didn't mean she was just about to give up. She leapt through the window, landing skillfully on her feet. Rising slowly, she could feel Ash staring at her, and she instinctively turned her head to look at him.

"Mi…Misty…" Ash stammered, partially out of surprise and partially out of concern, "what are you…you doing? You should be resting inside!"

"Not with my baby in danger!" Misty cried, racing towards the robot. Growling, she reached down to her belt and retrieved a poke ball, tossing it with great fervor. "Go! Corsola!"

The water type appeared before her trainer, beady black eyes narrowed in disgust at the giant machine.

"Corsola, use spike cannon!" Misty ordered.

"Cor!" Corsola's spiky body began to glow a bright shade of white before shooting off a brigade of fine white needles. They relentlessly hit the robot, but it showed no signs of coming down any time soon. The minor annoyance did catch the attention of the trio riding inside, however.

"What in the world?" Jessie furrowed her brow. She adjusted one of the cameras and Misty could soon be seen on the flat screen, her emerald eyes on fire as she glared upwards towards the three. "The twerpette. I should've known!"

"Shouldn't she still be incapacitated?" James scratched his head.

"Of course not," Jessie huffed angrily, "the brat is too stubborn. Too bad she won't get her little baby back."

"We need to try something more powerful," Misty muttered under her breath. "Corsola, try power gem!"

"Power gem?" Ash murmured to himself. Misty had never ordered Corsola to use that move before. In fact, Ash was fairly certain that the coral Pokémon didn't know that attack. But as Ash was pondering it, Corsola was holding its two front legs close together in the air, a large ball of bright orange forming between the two nubs. As Ash saw the power building, he smirked and thought gleefully to himself, _well, well, Misty must've done some special training while she was pregnant! So much for doing nothing._

"La!" Corsola cried as it sent the sphere barreling towards Team Rocket's robot. It was a direct hit, causing the mechanical figure to wobble on its large feet and begin sparking.

"Ah, what's happenin'?" Meowth cried, frantically pushing at various buttons.

"You think I know?" Jessie cried in response.

"Oh, this is bad," James fretted.

Outside, the metal basket that sat at the end of the robot's arm fell off of its perch, flying straight down towards the ground. It took a little tumble, dumping Aiden out and sending the hysterical baby down faster than the bin.

"Aiden!" Misty shrieked. She ran for the boy, her tired legs vehemently protesting. They burned and ached as she charged, and her lungs felt like they were going to burst. She wasn't used to so much running about anymore. But now was not the time to give in to her body's demands. Misty rarely did so anyway.

Ash, meanwhile, could hardly watch. He had set off after the baby too, but knew he would never get there in time. He'd just been standing too far away. But Ash knew that Misty's body wouldn't be able to handle that much so soon. She had only given birth two weeks ago; her recovery was nowhere near complete.

Feeling tears biting at the back of her eyes, Misty desperately held out her arms and looked up to try and see where Aiden was falling. She was still a little too far behind, and he was about to hit the ground. In one last, frantic attempt, Misty pushed her legs out and went sliding on the snowy ground, her arms still out.

And somehow, the last ditch effort had worked.

Her body trembling both from fear and exhaustion, Misty looked down and saw Aiden nestled in her arms, his face red as he continued to cry.

"A…Aiden…" Misty whispered, her own tears spilling out. Whimpering, Misty hugged the baby against her chest, holding him tight and burying her face into his wispy black hair. "You're okay…"

Ash's breathing was ragged and shallow. His little baby boy had almost…no. Both of his children in the first two weeks of his life? Ash had certainly had enough torture for the last half month to last a lifetime.

"Pikachu!" Ash called hoarsely. The electric mouse Pokémon, who'd been eagerly standing on guard by the front door, scampered towards Ash, who was looking up towards the badly damaged robot. "Thunderbolt."

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded. His cheeks began to spark before his entire body became engulfed by the bright yellow light of his strongest attack. Pikachu sent it flying straight for the battered hunk of metal, causing it to explode and send Team Rocket flying.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" Could be heard from the distance.

Ash let out a shuttered breath and ran over to Misty, who was still sitting on the ground. He couldn't see Aiden; the child was too safely guarded in Misty's arms.

"Misty," Ash requested softly as he gently tapped on her upper arm, "let me see him. I have to make sure he's okay."

"He is," Misty answered quietly. Ash squared out his shoulders. Misty suddenly sounded quite calm. Perhaps a little _too_ calm.

"Misty," Ash tried again.

She looked up at him and smiled, orange bangs falling over her sparkling green eyes. Ash's own eyes widened at the sight. He hadn't seen Misty smile in the past week, almost week and a half. Now he had to grin himself.

"I promise," Misty nodded, turning Aiden so he was facing Ash. Indeed, the baby boy was falling asleep, his face tear stained but otherwise tranquil. Misty had soothed him in no time flat. "Do you believe me now?"

Ash chuckled and rubbed at his eyes, his cheeks turning red as he realized he was once again crying in front of Misty. "Yes. Yes…I believe you Misty."

"Good," Misty giggled softly before nearly falling over. Ash gasped and grabbed her by the shoulders, quickly pulling her back up to be leaning against him.

"Are you alright?" Ash asked.

"I did too much, I think," Misty sighed. "My body is so sore…all that running was bad for me."

"Yeah, I need to get you back inside." Ash picked Misty up bridal style and headed back towards the house. Aiden was now fast asleep against his mother's chest, his little hand resting gently on her neck.

"I would've done it a thousand times over, though," Misty commented as Ash pulled back the door. "I don't care. I had to save Aiden."

"I know," Ash smiled sympathetically at her.

"You're not mad, are you?"

"Of course not," Ash rubbed his nose against her own. "Just worried."

"I'll be fine," Misty assured, "I just need rest. That's all. Right…Ashy?"

"Right," Ash chuckled. "Just like I've been telling you all along." Ash finally got the door open and stepped inside, Corsola and Pikachu following closely at his heels. The two Pokémon helped by closing the door, earning a thankful grin from the Pokémon master.

"Ash?" Misty's weary voice spoke again.

"Yes my dear?"

"Could…could I have my babies upstairs with me? I want them near me."

"Of course you may," Ash's smile grew even wider, his expression even brighter. "In fact, I think I'll head up there too. We can all spend time together as a family."

"I would like that," Misty let out a soft yawn as she rested her head against Ash's strong chest. "I would _really _like that."

**XXX**

The large, dark oak door was as intimidating a sight as Jessie, James, and Meowth had ever laid their sight on.

It wasn't so much the door itself, but rather what lay behind it. The anger and wrath of Giovanni was sure to capture them all, and tear them to irreplaceable shreds.

"Well, dis is it," Meowth sulked, his ears falling as he bowed his head.

"It looks as though the twerps have thwarted us for good this time," James added sadly.

"The twerp, the twerpette," Jessie seethed quietly, "even the baby twerp and the baby twerpette. A complete family of twerps wiping us out. How pathetic of an end this is for us."

The heavy door swung backwards, startling the trio before causing them to grow even more dejected.

"Here we go," James sighed as the three trudged into Giovanni's office. As usual, he was seated at his desk, although the back of the chair was currently facing the three disgraced members of the evil organization. Not wanting to say anything that might set their boss off, Jessie, James, and Meowth all stood in silence, waiting for whatever it is that Giovanni would do to them.

"You three…" Giovanni began, his voice low and.

"We're sorry sir!" James couldn't help but to burst out. He was trembling in his boots, and the added glares of Jessie and Meowth did nothing to help him. "Our failure is unacceptable! We're completely aware! We're so sorry! Forgive us!"

"Silence," Giovanni commanded. But much to the surprise of the failed trio, it wasn't angry. It didn't even sound disappointed. In fact, it seemed almost thoughtful. "Your failure has caused me to return to a former plan of mine. One that has been festering for several years now."

"Several years?" Jessie whispered as she glanced at her male counterparts.

"Forget about those two elite babies," Giovanni waved a haphazard hand, "they are worthless to me." Spinning the chair around, he looked at the surprised trio and continued, "I've decided to go ahead with this genius plan of mine. And, believe it or not, I'll need your help."

* * *

><p><strong>Team Rocket's new plan? Muhaha. That won't be revealed until one of the sequels for this story! Patience, my friends ;)<strong>

**Anyway, I'm pleased to say that this story will have _one_ chapter left, followed by an epilouge. Writing this story certainly has been lots of fun, and it's been my most successful so far! Needless to say, I'm extremely proud of this work.**

**I'm going to _try_ and see if I can get the next chapter up before next week, because next week is going to be _hectic_. I'm going to have first day of school, first day of dance classes, a baseball game, and first day of driving lessons all in one week! Definitely no time for writing, unfortunately.**

**Before I go, I'd just like to say thank you! This story (as of this posting) has 200 reviews, which is quite honestly crazy. I would have never expected any of my writings to get anywhere near that amount, so I am beyond stunned. Thank you all so much, you have no idea how much it means to me! You are all super awesome ^^**

**So, until next time, see ya!**


	23. Happy Ever After

**Look! Another chapter!**

**I've been on an absolute writing tear the past few days. I have no idea why, but I'm not about to question it. I think it's because I just finished reading my first summer reading book, Pride and Prejudice (it was awesome actually!) and it really got me into a writing mood. Bad news is I still have 2 more books to go and school starts in 3 days. Whoops XD**

**But enough of my problems. Nobody cares lol. Onto the last (regular) chapter of Double Trouble!**

* * *

><p>The incident with Team Rocket had taken a greater toll on Misty's body than either her or Ash could've imagined.<p>

Misty slept for nearly a full 24 hours after the run in. Ash didn't even bother waking her up to feed the babies. He got up for them and cared for them on his own. Though weary, the Pokémon master never once thought of complaining. He knew now just how lucky he was to have his children. Whining about it would be stupid and selfish.

When Misty finally woke up, she did so with Ash snoozing lightly at her side; both Aiden and Michelle sprawled out on his chest. They were both awake and looking around the room, which caused Misty to giggle. She was quite happy to have two such alert little babies. They were only a few weeks old, yet they already seemed to be observing everything. She knew in that respect they were taking after Ash.

Michelle set her eyes on Misty and began to get excited. She shrieked excitedly and held her little hands up in the air, wiggling and mewling for her mother.

"I'm right here sweetie," Misty smiled, taking the little girl into her arms. Michelle looked up at Misty, an air of happiness surrounding the child. She was making lots of noise, not even incoherent babbling. Michelle wasn't old enough for that yet. It was just simple sounds, with her tongue sticking out every now and then. "You love sticking that tongue out, don't you?" Misty giggled, tickling Michelle's cheek.

"Mmm…"

Misty glanced over to the right. Ash was beginning to wake up, and Misty assumed it was because of all the noise she and Michelle were making. But when she saw Ash touching the spot where Michelle had been, Misty quickly realized it was because she had taken Michelle.

"I'm sorry honey," Misty smiled sympathetically, "I woke up and Michelle saw me and got excited."

"It's okay," Ash stretched his arms out, accidentally hitting them on the headboard. With a little wince, he added, "I'm quite happy you're finally awake."

"That was a lovely nap," Misty smirked.

"I don't think you can call it a nap once it goes beyond two hours," Ash chuckled as he traced mindless shapes onto Misty's leg.

"I was tired," Misty whined playfully.

"I know you were," Ash smiled, "I'm not blaming you. I'm glad you got the rest you needed." An odd look crossed Ash's face, which caused Misty to become rather bewildered.

"What's up Ash?"

"Uh…why is my shirt so wet?" Ash grimaced. He looked down and noticed Aiden's eyes staring directly into his own, and his little nose poking up as well. The rest of his face was down on Ash's chest, and it was resting over a gracious wet spot.

"It looks like Aiden's been drooling a little," Misty smirked.

"A little?" Ash scowled as he lifted Aiden up. The boy made some happy noises, and Ash groaned when he saw just how wet his shirt was. "Ugh, man."

"You better get used to it," Misty laughed. "Babies are not very clean, are they sweetie?" She addressed the last part to Aiden, playfully brushing his cheek with her fingers. He cooed and reached for her hand, squeaking softly as Ash lowered him back down.

"Watch Aiden for a minute," Ash asked as he nestled the boy in Misty's free arm.

"Why?" Misty looked up at Ash as he climbed out of bed.

"I need to change my shirt," Ash pulled the dampened material away from his body. "And if this keeps up, I may just have to spend my entire paycheck on a new supply of t-shirts."

**XXX**

Christmas would follow several days later. Ash and Misty were very excited to celebrate the twins' first holiday; although they knew full well that the young children wouldn't have the slightest remembrance of the event.

Still, they wanted to make it special. Especially Ash. When he was younger, he was never sure if he wanted to be a father. To be honest, he would have usually veered towards no. But he loved Aiden and Michelle so dearly that any of those old thoughts were completely washed from his mind.

"Okay guys," Ash announced excitedly as he bounced the still sleepy infants on his lap, "who's excited to open presents?"

"Ash dear, I don't think they have a clue as to what's going on here," Delia giggled.

"Yeah," Misty kissed Ash's cheek, "in fact, they're probably looking up at this giant tree in the middle of the room and thinking their family is a bunch of lunatics."

"Perhaps," Ash smirked, "but I got them presents. And I want everyone to see them."

"You got them presents?" Misty raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, didn't you?" Ash blinked.

"I gave birth to them," Misty shrugged, "I thought the gift of life was good enough." Sagging her shoulders sadly, Misty added, "I actually didn't get anyone anything. To tell you the truth, I forgot it was Christmas time."

"I don't need any presents from you Mist," Ash smiled as he rubbed the back of her neck, "you gave me our babies. Those are the best gifts I could have ever asked for."

"And you know you _never _need to get me anything dear," Delia winked. "Although, my grandchildren were an absolutely wonderful surprise."

"Yes, surprises," Misty giggled as she kissed both of the babies, "that's what you two were. Beautiful, wonderful surprises."

"Come on Misty," Ash whined playfully, "I want the twins to see their presents!"

"Ash, ladies first!" Delia shook a finger at her son. "Or, in this case, mothers first. I got the twins things too, you know."

"_And_ the spoiling begins," Ash gave Misty a knowing glance, which she heartily returned.

"There's nothing you can do to stop me," Delia winked teasingly. She got down on the floor and gathered up her apparent gifts for the twins. She separated them into two groups of seven, causing both Ash and Misty to gasp.

"You got them both that much?" Ash asked, his mouth still hanging open.

"I didn't buy _all _of it," Delia waved a hand. "Some of them were made. But yes, these are all for them."

"Oooh boy," Misty laughed, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Come on Ash, help them open the presents!" Delia excitedly clapped her hands together. "Oh, I hope you like everything I got for them."

"I'm sure it's all wonderful," Misty smiled, "especially the things you made on your own."

It took a little while to tear open all 14 presents, considering Ash was doing the task with two infants on his lap. Eventually, Misty tried to help him, although the stubborn Pokémon master insisted he could do it on his own.

The gifts for the babies were of a wonderful variety; everything from toys to clothes to decorations for the nursery they were to have in the family's new home in Cerulean City.

"Oh Delia, all of this is just so precious!" Misty cooed as she held a green plaid bow up to Michelle's fluffy red hair. "I adore the Christmas outfits you made for them. Once we're all done opening presents, I'll put them in the clothes right away."

"I'm glad you like them," Delia smiled. "I know the twins are very, very little, but maybe they like what they got too. Especially the toys."

Ash was busy dangling one of said toys in front of the babies. It was a little plush Pikachu, pastel colored with a rattle in it. He shook the toy to make it jingle, which made the babies coo in amazement.

"I'll start opening my presents now," Misty volunteered as she gazed at Ash. "I know Ash usually _loves _tearing into his gifts first," Misty stopped in order to giggle girlishly and wink, "but it looks like he's a bit too enamored with the gifts he got from me."

**XXX**

After all of the presents were opened and breakfast was eaten, Misty did well on her word and dressed the babies up in the special holiday outfits that Delia had fashioned for them.

Aiden looked quite handsome in his little white dress shirt and red plaid vest, paired neatly with black pants and a pair of bright red socks.

Michelle, on the other hand, looked like a little doll. She was dressed in a green plaid dress with short, poufy sleeves, a bow around her waist and in her hair, and a pair of green socks.

"My son looks like a bell hop or something," Ash grimaced. "Mom, you couldn't get him a little baseball hat or anything?"

"Ash, he does not look like a bell hop or anything of the sort," Delia folded her arms, "he looks adorable! Those are the kind of outfits I used to put _you _in for the holidays when you were a child!"

"Well, at least we can share the humiliation, huh buddy?" Ash smirked as he looked down at his son.

"I think they both look absolutely precious," Misty beamed at her two little babies. "These two could be baby models! They would be wonderful at it, I bet."

"They're not going to be models!" Ash cried. "_Especially_ Aiden! No son of mine is going to be seen in a fashion magazine. Unless it's when he becomes my successor as Pokémon master and is spotted at some league gala in a nice suit."

"Really?" Misty raised a curious eyebrow. "Then how come I've never seen _you _in any fashion magazines, Mr. Pokémon master?"

Delia giggled behind her hand as Ash pouted, but she soon stopped when something came to mind.

"Oh goodness! I almost forgot! Ash, Misty, I have a lovely surprise for both of you."

"More surprises?" Misty smiled.

"Oh yes," Delia nodded, "and I think you're going to love this one most of all."

"Cool!" Ash cheered. "Where is it?"

"Well, we have to travel a bit to get there," Delia replied. "I thought we could put the twins in their carriers, throw coats on, and drive over. I asked Professor Oak if I could borrow one of his cars for the trip, and he gladly accepted. He's out of town for the holiday as it is."

"That's fine by me," Misty smiled. "I'm kind of excited to see what this big surprise is!"

**XXX**

The drive was a fairly long one, but enjoyable. The three adults had great fun talking amongst themselves while the babies slept soundly in their carriers. Misty was surprised that neither child woke up during the drive. She assumed that the movement of the car was soothing to the two. Ash had kept nervously asking Misty if she was alright. He was afraid of her over exerting herself just like she had with Team Rocket. And every time he inquired, Misty would let out a tired sigh and assure Ash that everything was just fine.

Eventually, the family drove into Cerulean City, causing a look of bewilderment to appear on Misty's face.

"What are we doing in Cerulean?" Misty blinked. "Is something wrong with the gym?"

"No dear," Delia giggled, "this is where your surprise is!"

"In Cerulean?" Ash scratched his head.

The car hit a rather large bump, instantly awaking both of the babies and causing them to whimper in displeasure.

"Shh, it's alright darlings," Misty cooed, tending to the upset infants. "Look! We're going to go see where Mommy grew up. Doesn't that sound like fun? And this is where you'll grow up too!" At that, Delia smiled to herself.

Delia drove all the way up towards the gym and parked nearby. Ash shot her a curious look when she stopped, but Misty hardly noticed. She was still sweet talking to the now content babies.

"Let's all take a little walk," Delia suggested. "And then you can get your surprise!"

They piled out of the car, Ash taking a hold of Aiden's carrier while Misty took Michelle's. The family began to walk up the road, surprised by the fairly warm December weather they were enduring. The snow on the ground was already beginning to melt due to the unusual warmth, and all of the potentially dangerous ice had long thawed away. They walked past the gym, Misty shooting a somewhat sad smile at the place. Ash took notice of this and kissed Misty's temple, pulling her in closer to him as they walked.

"You'll be back soon," Ash assured, whispering into the gym leader's ear.

"I know," Misty gave a single nod, now looking ahead of her.

"I love you," Ash commented, seemingly out of nowhere. Misty looked back at him, somewhat bewildered. In response, Ash simply chuckled and buried his face into her neck. "You're so cute, Mist. I'm going to love you forever."

"Me too," Misty smiled, her cheeks lightly blushing at all of the affection she was currently receiving.

"Ah, here we are!"

The couple broke apart and exchanged curious looks before turning back to Delia. She was standing right in front of the duo, her eyes blissfully closed as she kept her hands planted firmly on her hips.

"Here where?" Ash blinked. Misty turned towards the grass and gasped at what stood before her. Wordlessly, she grabbed onto the sleeve of Ash's black wool coat and tugged at it. "What is it Mist?"

"Look," Misty whispered, her breath catching in her throat. Ash turned to look in the direction that Misty was, and he soon too became speechless.

Before the young couple stood a fairly large, though still modest, two story house, complete with sunny yellow siding, big glass windows, and an elegant front door that was made of white wood and intricate glass designs.

"Our house…" Ash murmured.

"Is it…finished?" Misty asked in awe.

"It is!" Delia squealed. "The builders called me while you two were still in the hospital back in the Sevii Islands. I decided to keep it a secret up until now. I thought it would make a lovely Christmas surprise!"

"And because you wanted the first few weeks of our children's lives to be spent with you," Ash added knowingly, and with a playful smirk.

"Perhaps," Delia blushed as she nervously rubbed the back of her neck, just like Ash. "But it also gave them time to furnish the inside. So everything is completely finished!"

"So you mean we can move in?" Misty gasped, her eyes shimmering with joy. She did love Pallet Town, of course. It was a nice change of scenery from the usual hustle and bustle that was Cerulean. But Misty hadn't lived steadily in her hometown for nearly eight months now. She quite missed it.

"Yes, you can," Delia nodded.

"Awesome!" Misty cheered, but she quickly recollected herself for a moment. "It might not be such a good idea to move in today though. Most of our things are still back in Pallet. Plus, it would be positively rude of us to leave you without a proper thank you and good bye."

"You don't need to mention any of that dear!" Delia sighed before giggling at Misty's concerned face. "Really now, you two have made me the happiest woman in the entire world. I have such a lovely family, all thanks to you two! No thank yous are necessary."

"Well, it _is _Christmas, so I'm not quite in the mood for a big move today," Ash put in his own opinion. Misty nodded in agreement, which lead Ash to continue, "Maybe we could start moving in tomorrow or the day after. I'd definitely like to be in the house before the New Year."

"That sounds good to me," Misty smiled.

"Excellent, it's all settled then!" Delia clapped her hands excitedly. "Now, I know you two have already made your decision not to move in today, but why don't you take a look inside? I bet it's beautiful. Well, so long as Ash didn't plan it out!"

"_Mom_!" Ash cried, his face reddening deeply in embarrassment.

"He didn't have much of a say," Misty assured her mother in law. "Come in with us! I want you to see our house as well."

Delia fished the house key out of her coat pocket and handed it to Misty. The excited gym leader squeaked excitedly and hurried up to the door, making sure not to bounce Michelle's carrier around and disturb the baby.

She stuck the key into the lock on the door knob and twisted it. Hearing the tiny click, Misty smiled happily and pushed the door back, taking a gentle step inside. The late winter sunlight was spilling through the windows, providing the perfect amount of light for her to examine the house. Delia and Ash followed after her, beaming at the interior just as Misty had.

"It's…beautiful," Misty sighed, her emerald green eyes twinkling as she surveyed the front rooms. To the right sat the family room, furnished nicely with a large couch, a comfy looking chair, and (much to Ash's delight) a fairly large TV. On the left was the kitchen, decorated stoically with silver, stainless steel appliances and sapphire blue marble counters.

"We haven't even seen everything yet," Ash chuckled.

"Well, from what I _have_ seen so far, it's perfect," Misty giggled. "I can't imagine the rest of it won't be."

And indeed, the rest of the house was everything Misty had dreamed of and more. Her and Ash's room was probably her favorite in the house. The walls were painted a lovely green color that wasn't forest dark or light as mint. Ash simply described it as emerald, because he firmly believed it matched Misty's eyes. The white wood post bed that sat in the middle of the room was gigantic and very plush, which Misty had made sure to test out. A master bathroom was attached to the room, with a spacious shower and bathtub in addition to two separate sinks. There were two closets in the room, both walk ins and completely huge. Misty expressed much more excitement over these features than her husband, however.

"I don't think I have enough clothes to fill out _half _of this thing," Ash commented, his mouth hanging open.

"Then I'll just have to take you shopping," Misty fluttered her long, dark eyelashes. "You could use some nicer outfits anyway."

"Gee, thanks," Ash sulked. In turn, Misty just laughed lightly and pecked Ash sweetly on the lips.

Misty's _other _favorite room in the house was the babies' nursery. Once they'd learned they'd be having twins, she and Ash had decided to keep them in the same room for at least the first two years. The room next to the nursery was being kept vacant for when it was time to separate the children.

But for now, their shared room was absolutely stunning in Misty's mind. One half of the room was painted blue, while the other half was painted pink. The two colors met at the far end walls of the room, clearly showing which side was Aiden's and which was Michelle's. There were two cribs on either side, both of them white. The only differences between the cribs were the bedding in each one. Aiden's were colored blue and white and adorned with blue Teddiursa. Michelle's sheets had exactly the same pattern, but the pink took the place of the blue on hers. The corners of each crib were decked out with stuffed Pokémon of all different kinds. The room also had a changing table, windows with curtains, and a white wooden rocking chair in the corner of the room.

"Oh, the rocking chair is so cute," Misty cooed. "I don't remember ordering it, though."

"I got it for you," Ash piped up. Misty whipped around and stared at him in disbelief. Blushing heavily, Ash continued less confidently, "I…I thought you'd like it Mist. So you could just…you know…sit with the babies."

Misty giggled and threw her arms around Ash's neck, kissing him deeply on the lips. Ash blinked crazily for a few seconds before settling into the kiss and returning the action.

"That's so sweet," Misty sighed, pressing her forehead against Ash's. "You know you're the best husband in the world, right?"

"Well, I don't _know _that," Ash chuckled, gently rubbing her back up and down, "but thank you for the compliment."

"I can't wait to live here," Misty stood up on her toes, giving Ash yet another kiss. "It's going to be so wonderful, living as a family."

"I agree," Ash grinned, hugging Misty even closer. "Merry Christmas sweetheart."

**XXX**

Two days later, Ash and Misty had fully moved into their new home. The couple absolutely adored living on their own. Well, mostly on their own. They did have Aiden and Michelle with them as well, but that only made it better. They would take turns at night tucking the babies into their cribs, turning on their mobiles and waiting for the little things to fall asleep to the gentle lullabies.

The second afternoon in the new house, Ash couldn't find Misty anywhere. Looking towards Pikachu, he requested, "hey buddy, could you watch over the babies and the house for me? I just want to see if Misty went next door."

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded surely, settling himself by the window in the nursery. The little electric type had taken quite a shining to being the infants' body guard.

"Thanks Pikachu!" Ash smiled before racing downstairs to grab his coat and go outside. He headed straight over to the Cerulean City gym, which sat only about 30 feet away from their house. He walked through the sliding glass doors, intently listening for any sign of Misty. No noises were made, however.

He checked by the front desk and saw nothing. Ash then walked to the back where Misty's office was situated. But she wasn't in there either.

"Could she not be in the gym?" Ash rubbed the back of his neck. "But where else could she have gone?" Then, a thought crossed his mind. "The battle area!"

He ran into the spacious room, but still saw nothing. Ash put a discouraged frown on his face, until he heard splashing. Looking down into the pool, he saw a slim figure darting back and forth in the otherwise calm blue water.

"Misty?" Ash tried. The figure stopped swimming and popped back up to the surface, clearing dampened red hair away from her face. That confirmed to Ash that it was in fact Misty.

"Hi there honey," Misty smiled up at him.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to the gym?" Ash frowned.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Misty gasped apologetically. "I guess I thought I wouldn't be here as long as I've been. I'm really sorry honey. The babies haven't been causing you trouble, have they?"

"No, they're being wonderful today," Ash grinned down at his wife. "So what brings you into here? You don't have to be back as gym leader for another three weeks."

Misty giggled and climbed out of the pool. "I'm trying to get some exercise. I'd like to get this baby weight off of me sooner rather than later."

Ash surveyed her bathing suit clad body. She wasn't wearing a bikini; instead it was a red and blue one piece. It was very form fitting though, and Ash could get a clear view of her stomach. She did still have a bit of a bump, but it didn't look like the remnants of a pregnancy. She just looked a little bloated.

"You look fantastic," Ash smiled at Misty, causing her to beam excitedly. "You really don't even look like you were just pregnant. And with _twins _no less!"

"Good genes," Misty smirked as she ran a hand down her nearly flattened midsection. "My sisters didn't have to do _anything _to lose the weight. They pretty much just gave birth and there it went."

"Well, we got a two for one deal, so there's gotta be a price to pay," Ash winked at her. In turn, Misty rolled her eyes playfully and let out a girlish chuckle. "Anyway, I have an idea. I wanted to run it past you."

"Oh no," Misty smiled, "Ash Ketchum has an idea. This can't be good."

"Ha ha, very funny," Ash remarked. "It's nothing destructive. I promise!"

"Alright then," Misty smiled, "tell me what you've got in mind, dear."

"I thought that maybe we could have all of our friends and family over for New Years Eve," Ash suggested. "It could be a housewarming, meet the babies, New Year's party type event. All rolled into one."

"That's…actually not a bad idea," Misty seemed surprised that Ash hadn't come up with something along the lines of making soda volcanoes in the yard. "I'd love to see everybody! And they just _have _to see our little babies!"

"So it's settled," Ash nodded. "I'll go give everyone a call and set it up!"

"Sounds good," Misty smirked. With a little jump, she leapt onto Ash, hugging him tightly and getting the pool water all over him.

"Aw, come on Mist!" Ash wailed as she laughed wildly. "Don't you think I get enough of this from the twins?"

**XXX**

By the time New Years Eve rolled around several days later, all of Ash and Misty's friends and families had received word of the get together, and were now all gathered at the family's new home. What surprised Ash and Misty the most was the influx of baby gifts that everyone had brought with them.

"Ash, did you tell them to bring presents?" Misty asked with raised eyebrows.

"Of course not!" Ash gasped at the accusation. "I would never ask for something like that!"

"May," Misty beckoned, pulling the brunette aside when she went to walk past the bewildered gym leader, "why did all of you bring presents? You didn't have to!"

"Well, you see…" May began lamely, "we were kind of planning a baby shower for you. But then you went away with Ash to the Sevii islands and well…the babies decided to make their grand debut over there. So those plans kind of got…wrecked."

"Oh, that would've been fun," Ash frowned.

"Yes, but your children were in quite the hurry to meet us," Misty tickled under his chin, causing the Pokémon master to reluctantly laugh. "So it just wasn't meant to be."

"I don't mean to pry," May spoke again, her sapphire eyes shifting left from right, "but I was just wondering…could I be the first one here to see the babies?"

Misty grinned and scoffed, "how did I know you were going to ask that?"

"Because I'm me?" May giggled.

"Exactly," Ash chuckled.

"Not so fast May!"

May let out a little shriek. Her brunette hair was being tugged at by a fairly smaller girl, one with similar bright blue eyes.

"Hi Dawn!" Misty greeted, happy to see her other friend.

Dawn gave Misty a little wave and a smile before turning back to May and sternly commenting, "you better not be expecting to go see those little babies without me!"

Ash and Misty laughed at May and Dawn's interactions. Those two were very good friends, and they never failed to make everyone around them laugh.

"It's funny you two bring that up," Misty piped up in an amused tone. "Because I wanted the both of you to be the first ones to see them anyway." The younger girls shot Misty a gleeful look, to which she started to chuckle again.

"So should we head on upstairs?" Ash asked.

"Yes!" May and Dawn cried at the same time.

Ash and Misty lead May and Dawn up the stairs, the two younger girls admiring the photographs that adorned the walls. They ranged from Ash and Misty sitting together as teenagers, to the couple as newly engaged young adults, and then a picture of them from their wedding. The frame at the very top of the stairs was currently empty.

"How come there's nothing in this one?" Dawn asked curiously as she pointed at the vacant frame.

"We're going to put a family portrait in that one," Misty replied, "we just need to get the picture taken."

"That's so cute," May cooed.

Ash reached the twins' door first, slowly opening it and peering in. He waited for a few seconds before fully opening the door and walking in. Misty followed after him, but May and Dawn stopped in the door frame. They were suddenly quite nervous.

"What are you guys doing out there?" Ash chuckled. "It's okay to come in. The babies are awake!"

May and Dawn looked anxiously at each other but eventually stepped into the room.

For this showing, Aiden and Michelle had both been placed in the same crib. They were both awake, looking up towards their parents. When May and Dawn leaned over the crib, however, the infants' attention was placed onto the two new visitors.

"Oh my gosh," May breathed. She wanted so badly to touch the little things, but she was afraid they would break upon the contact.

"They…are…ADORABLE!" Dawn squealed. "Oh my gosh, they look so much different than those last pictures you showed us!"

"Dawn," Ash began, trying to stifle his laughter, "that's because the last pictures we showed you were from a sonogram."

"Ah, right!" Dawn chuckled nervously.

"Ash, Misty…" May shook her head, "they're just absolutely precious. I'm so happy for the two of you."

"I'm glad you two love them so much," Misty smiled. Glancing over at Ash, who nodded encouragingly to her, Misty took a deep breath and her grin stretched even wider. Looking back at her friends, Misty continued, "remember how, when I first began suspecting I was pregnant, I made you guys go out and buy me the pregnancy test?"

May and Dawn exchanged looks, and quickly became flustered.

"I remember it being completely _humiliating!_" May cried, her face growing a fierce shade of red.

"Why would you bring that up in front of Ash?" Dawn murmured as she hid her face behind her hands.

"I've known for awhile," Ash chuckled at the embarrassed bluenette. "And I found it pretty hilarious."

"Some friend you are!" Dawn wailed, her face looking about as red as a tomato.

"Anyway," Misty sighed, trying to rid the laughter from her system, "remember how I said I would make it up to you two?"

"Of course," May playfully furrowed her brow, "I've been planning on holding you against that."

"Well, you're not going to have to do that," Misty smiled. "Because I'm going to make it up to you right now."

"How?" Dawn tilted her head.

Misty looked back at Ash, as though to ensure that this was alright with him. He grinned boldly and squeezed her shoulder, silently cheering Misty on. Smiling, Misty turned her eyes back to her friends and announced, "Ash and I would like for the two of you to be Aiden and Michelle's godmothers."

"Both of us?" May and Dawn exclaimed at the same time, both pointing at themselves.

"We figured you could be…" Ash rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, trying to think of a good term for it. "Co-godmothers?"

"Yes, co-godmothers," Misty nodded in agreement. "You both just mean too much to us to just pick one. We already named Brock their godfather, and I definitely trust my children with you. So what do you say?"

May and Dawn looked at one another yet again, and soon huge grins broke out onto both of their faces. They attacked Ash and Misty into a brigade of hugs, causing the young couple to laugh heartily.

"So, I _think _you made it up to them," Ash glanced over at Misty.

"Right," Misty gave a single nod. "You two forgive me for the pregnancy test incident?" She turned around and found May and Dawn once again leaning over the babies' crib.

May looked away from her godchildren and, with a wink, chirped, "_what_ pregnancy test incident?"

**XXX**

The rest of the night went off flawlessly. Everyone was eventually introduced to the little babies, and everyone had the same reaction to the tiny things: cooing and commenting on how adorable they were. Daisy agreed with Delia's former point that the twins could be baby models (much to Ash's chagrin) while Dakota seemed to want to play with the two like dolls. Violet and Lily found the infants precious as well, although their daughters didn't seem so interested in the young things.

Gary had taken quite the shine to the newborns, eventually commenting to Ash, "Ketchum, I never thought any kids of yours could turn out normal, but it seems I've been proven wrong."

"Gee, thanks Gary," Ash deadpanned, which caused the brown haired researcher to laugh in amusement.

Even Iris and Cilan had flown in from Unova for the affair, though they had left their three young children who were only several months older than Aiden and Michelle back in their home region.

"It's a shame we couldn't bring our own little ones," Iris fretted, "it would've been much too hard. I'll bet they'll all be such good friends when they get older, though. We'll most certainly have to introduce them to one another!"

"Of course," Misty giggled, "I would love for that!"

"Ah, the familiar flavor of sweet new life," Cilan sighed as he leaned over the crib. The children were looking up at the connoisseur, seeming especially transfixed by his neat green bow tie. "Soft as newly grown grass and as gentle as the cotton breeze that blows above it. Such a delightful taste!"

"I didn't know you were a baby connoisseur as well, Cilan," Ash chuckled in response.

After awhile, the twins seemed to have grown tired from all the attention they were receiving. As Professor Oak was surveying the babies, they began to yawn and close their eyes, snuggling into one another.

"Well, look at that," the Professor chortled amusedly, "it appears they're growing sleepy!"

"Yeah, it must be hard being the center of attention, huh?" Misty asked the twins playfully as they both yawned at the same time. "Aw, look at that!"

"They're in sync with one another," Professor Oak mused. "That's quite common in twins, you know. They have a special bond. Why, they might even share emotions at some point in time!"

"A special bond?" Misty murmured, looking back at the newborns. She was intrigued by such a thought.

"I think we should let them sleep now," Ash chuckled quietly, his voice bringing Misty back from her thoughts. "Should I put Michelle back in her own crib?"

Misty looked back down at the babies. Their heads were nestled right into each other's, and one of Aiden's little arms was resting atop of Michelle's body. It looked like he was hugging her close to him.

"No, leave them alone," Misty smiled fondly. "They look absolutely precious together."

"Yeah, they do," Ash beamed, running his hand over both of their little heads. He reached for Aiden's quilt and pulled it over the two sleeping children.

After leaving the room, both Ash and Misty went about their own business. Ash was taking various dares from Brock and Max (which, in the back of his mind, he knew was a bit foolish for someone who was now a father, but it was too much fun) while Misty sat down with May, Dawn, and Iris to discuss the brunette's upcoming marriage to Drew.

"I can finally try on my bridesmaid's dress again," Misty smiled at May. "Now that I don't look like a house, I'm sure we can get the proper measurements on the dress."

"Misty, you never looked like a house," May assured.

"Yeah," Dawn agreed. "Like you swallowed an overinflated beach ball maybe, but not a house."

Furrowing her brow, Misty's lips twitched as she replied, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that, okay?" Dawn simply blinked in confusion.

Shortly before midnight, Ash had wandered outside in search of some fresh air. He stepped onto the front porch, where he found Misty standing over the railing, staring up into the dark night sky.

"Mist?" Ash asked softly, causing her to turn her head and smile. "What are you doing out here?"

"I just wanted to be alone for a little while," Misty answered simply, her delicate shoulders shrugging at the seemingly boring response. Ash chuckled quietly and moved next to Misty, wrapping an arm around her slender again waist.

"We have had an interesting year, now haven't we?" Misty sighed, still looking upwards.

"Let's see," Ash mused playfully, causing Misty to smirk. "We got married…had a completely romantic honeymoon…"

"Which I ended up getting pregnant on," Misty interjected.

"Right," Ash nodded. "And, because I'm _so _good at what I do, we made two babies!"

"I can't believe that you can puff your ego up even with _that,_" Misty scoffed.

"Of course," Ash nuzzled the top of her head. "Anyway, so you were pregnant pretty much all year. And that was kind of crazy."

"Yeah, just a little," Misty retorted sarcastically.

"But then our babies were born," Ash concluded the story with a bright smile. "Aiden and Michelle decided to come into our lives at an inopportune time, and Michelle was sick, the poor thing. And then Team Rocket almost killed Aiden…"

"Why would you bring any of that up?" Misty grumbled as Ash trailed off.

"I don't know," he whispered, suddenly feeling quite miserable.

"Ash, don't be sad," Misty smiled at him as she brushed his cheek. "All of that…none of it matters. Michelle is perfectly healthy now, and Aiden is just fine. We're a perfect family, just like I've always dreamed of."

"Really?" Ash murmured as a happy grin appeared on his face once again. "You've always wanted to have a family?"

"Yeah," Misty suddenly sounded quite sheepish, as if she'd just realized she had let loose a deep secret of hers. Blushing heavily, she continued, "and I'd always hoped it would be with you."

Ash beamed down at his embarrassed wife. He placed his fingers underneath her chin and turned her head up, leaning in to kiss her lips. Before they could make contact, the sound of loud explosions alerted the couple.

The two relaxed, however, when they looked up towards the sky and saw the bright flashes of fireworks.

"Must be midnight," Ash muttered under his breath.

Giggling, Misty stood up on her tippy toes and whispered, "happy New Year sweetheart."

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, it's just far too tempting to make Dawn...well...stupid. I could absolutely just see her doing the thing with the sonogram pictures and making an accidental comment about Misty's weight. Dawn just seems like a giant air head to me :P<strong>

**Anyway, like I said in the beginning, this is the last regular chapter of the story! Stick around, of course, because I've still got the epilouge coming! I'm really proud of this story (like..._really _proud) and I'm actually pretty sad that it's coming to an end! Fortunately I've got the sequels to look forward to ;)**

**I thank you all for your continued suppourt! I'm honestly just overjoyed that my readers have loved reading this story as much as I have loved writing it. It's something I've always considered writing but was never sure if others would be intrested. Now I know! You guys all rule!**

**Now, until the epilouge, see ya!**


	24. Epilogue

**Squeee, I can't believe we're here! The epilogue! I think it's pretty good (and sweet!) so hopefully you'll all enjoy it. I was going to put it up tomorrow after coming back from dance class, but I figured by then I would be too tired. And I don't have a bad amount of homework tonight, so I figured let's just put it up a day early, shall we? :3**

**Also, before we begin on the epilogue, I've gotten a few questions about accepting OC's into my stories. I'm not looking for any right now (unfortunately for you guys characters are some of the things I'm actually really good at coming up with!) but thank you for the inquiries ^^**

**Now, without further aideu, the epilogue!**

* * *

><p><em>5 years later…<em>

Ash beamed at the sight of his two children playing happily together, their usual bickering and squabbling put aside for the time being.

Aiden was a good, average sized boy. If Ash had to guess, the boy might even be taller than he was as a child. And that was a good thing. Ash had always hated his height as a kid. Aside from the stature difference, Aiden was the spitting image of his father. Jet black hair, a glowing tan skin tone, and a lopsided smile. The nearly black eyes that he had been born with had faded into a warm, dark brown. Ash assumed they'd continue to get lighter as the boy grew.

And then there was Michelle.

No one would've ever been able to guess she was such a sickly baby. Michelle was now a perfectly healthy child, just as tall as her brother. Her hair was like fire, flowing freely just below her shoulders as side swept bangs brushed her temple. She had slightly lighter skin than Aiden, although a nice blush always resonated on her fair cheeks. Her two eyes had deepened in color, and were now a perfect match for emeralds. Basically, Michelle was a smaller version of Misty.

"Daddy, look at this picture I drew!" Michelle squeaked, running up to her father. Ash held the girl at her sides, carefully examining the piece of paper she held in her hands. There were four people drawn in crayon: two larger and two smaller. The two boys in the drawing had black hair, and the two girls had orange tresses.

"Is this our family?" Ash asked sweetly. Michelle nodded, clearly happy that her father had been able to decipher what it was.

"Look," Michelle pointed at the taller of the red heads, "that's Mommy. See? She's in a bathing suit, 'cause she likes to go swimming! And you have Pikachu."

"Wow, this is a great picture!" Ash smiled at the little girl. When she stood this close to him, Ash could see the tiny collection of freckles that dotted the bridge of the child's small nose.

"Bring it to work Daddy!" Michelle's eyes were sparkling now.

"I would, but I don't have an office or anything like that," Ash suddenly felt bad. Being the Pokémon master, all of his time at work was spent on a battle field. As Michelle's formerly wide grin slipped into a frown, Ash quickly began to think of a way to make up for his lack of a cubicle. "But I can still keep it! I'll put it on my nightstand so I can see it right before I go to bed, _and _when I wake up in the morning! What do you say princess?"

"Okay," Michelle's smile reappeared. She stood up on her tippy toes in order to give Ash a kiss on the tip of his nose, causing him to laugh and kiss her back.

"ASH!"

Ash squeaked slightly and jumped up. He would be able to detect that angry voice from anywhere. Even Michelle could tell her father was in trouble.

"Daddy, what did you do?" Michelle blinked.

"Uh…I'm not sure," Ash furrowed his brow. He was being completely serious. He couldn't remember doing anything that would've upset Misty.

But as the red headed gym leader marched into the room with her hands on her hips, it was blatantly obvious that she was not amused.

"What's up Misty?" Ash asked as sweetly as possible, hoping it would curb some of Misty's fury. Unfortunately, changing his tone would bring the Pokémon master no such luck.

"What's up?" Misty mocked, her green eyes narrowing in disdain, "I don't know Ash, you tell _me _what's up!"

"What're you talking about Mist?" Ash frowned.

"Gary Oak just so happened to call me," Misty folded her arms now, her voice becoming even more acid than it was before. "He wanted to let you know you left some of your clothes at his house."

"Oh right, I forgot!" Ash laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I should go get them."

"What are your _clothes _doing at Gary's house, Ash?" Misty ordered.

"Nothing," Ash blinked, "we were training our Pokémon and Totodile accidentally got me all wet. So I had to change out of my clothes. I must've accidentally left them there."

"And you expect me to believe that?" Misty growled.

"It's the truth Misty. What would make you think I'm lying?"

"I don't know," Misty mused sarcastically, "how about the fact that Gary's supermodel wife had one of her little friends over? You know, the highly flirtatious one?"

"You mean Amanda?" Ash asked innocently.

"Yes. Her."

"I didn't do anything with her!" Ash laughed off the notion. "You must be crazy Misty."

"I am not crazy!" Misty glowered at the raven haired man, "you spent all night there! It seems awfully fishy to me, Mr. Pokémon Master."

"Misty, I _swear_ that nothing happened," Ash was getting irritated now, "I can't believe you don't trust me! Do I really seem like a cheat to you?"

Michelle frowned and scurried out of the room, Aiden following quickly behind.

"Where are you going Shelly?" Aiden called after the young red head, "I thought we were gonna' play more!"

"I don't wanna' listen to Mommy and Daddy fight," Michelle whimpered. "It makes me sad."

"They've been fighting lots lately," Aiden agreed, his brown eyes dulling in sadness, "you don't think…"

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Aiden and Michelle were only a few feet away and heard it, but Ash and Misty were too busy arguing to take notice. Looking at each other, the twins nodded and decided to answer the door, although they knew they weren't supposed to. Michelle bent over to peek through the mail slot, a smile appearing on her face as she stood back up to look at her brother.

"It's Brock!" Michelle announced happily.

Beaming, Aiden stood on his toes and grabbed the door knob, pulling at it with all of his might. After a bit of a struggle, the little boy was able to pull the door back, a triumphant smile being shown off to their jovial visitor.

"Hiya Brock!" Aiden greeted happily, moving away from the threshold so Brock could enter the house.

"Hello there little man," Brock ruffled the boy's hair before turning his attention to Michelle, "and to you, little princess."

"Hi!" Michelle waved her little hand at the older man before hugging his leg.

"So, where are your Mommy and Daddy?" Brock asked laughingly.

"OW! I already told you nothing happened! Don't hit me!"

"What in the world is that?" Brock asked no one in particular.

"It's Mommy and Daddy," Aiden frowned yet again, "they're fighting."

"_Again?_" Brock folded his arms.

"Yeah," Michelle nodded sadly, not bothering to let go of Brock's leg.

"They've been doing this a little too often for my liking," Brock huffed.

"Make it stop Brock," Aiden pleaded, "it's making me and Shelly upset. We don't like it when they fight."

"I know you guys don't," Brock sighed as he walked towards the kitchen, Michelle finally releasing her grip on his lower leg. "I'll see what I can do."

As Brock walked into the kitchen, he could see Misty relentlessly smacking Ash on the shoulder. Her strength was nothing compared to Ash's, however, so it didn't seem to be affecting him too badly. But it did appear that she had been doing it long enough that it was beginning to irk the handsome master.

"Hey, knock it off!" Brock demanded. Misty stopped instantly and stared at Brock with shocked eyes, while Ash looked up at the older man with a look of gratitude.

"Uh…hi Brock…" Misty greeted awkwardly.

"You two aren't thinking! Not at all!" Brock fumed, his hands tightening into fists at his sides.

"What're you talking about Brock?" Misty folded her arms, giving the Pokémon doctor an incredulous glance.

"This whole argument," Brock waved his hands for emphasis, "you started it _right _in front of Aiden and Michelle. Don't you know by now how much things like this upset them?"

"Augh, he's right," Ash frowned, giving Misty a miserable glimpse.

"I'm sorry," Misty frowned, looking down sheepishly at her feet. "I know I shouldn't have gone off on Ash like that. But I've just been so stressed and overworked…I didn't even see Aiden and Michelle standing there. I know that's not an excuse for being a terrible mother, but still."

"You're not a terrible mother," Brock sighed, relaxing his hands. "But I do think that you and Ash need a little break."

"How are we going to do that?" Ash inquired, his eyes glinting with curiosity.

"I've got an idea," Brock smirked knowingly. "I have a Pokémon doctor's convention in the Seafoam Islands this weekend. You two should bring Aiden and Michelle and come along with me."

"Are you sure about this Brock?" Misty asked, raising a wry eyebrow.

"Positive," Brock nodded, "it's at a very nice resort. There are hot springs, a spa, and a nearby beach. Also, an all you can eat buffet!"

"You had me at all you can eat," Ash grinned, earning a giggle from Misty. "I say we go!"

"If Brock insists…" Misty sighed.

"I do," Brock nodded, "so pack your stuff and get ready!"

**XXX**

While Brock was away the first day of the convention, Ash and Misty spent their time playing with Aiden and Michelle. The two children were more than thrilled to see their parents getting along, especially as the four of them played in the resort's pool.

"Up Daddy! Up!" Michelle giggled as she swam towards her father.

"I gotcha!" Ash chuckled as he held out his arms and grabbed the little girl, lifting her up high in the air. Michelle squealed in delight, her eyes sparkling and shining in the late afternoon sun. Ash lowered the girl back into the water, holding her close as he pressed kisses into her wet red hair, which had been pulled back into a ponytail.

"Daddy…" Michelle mumbled contentedly, running a little hand up and down his well defined muscles before gripping him in a tight embrace. She felt so comfortable in her father's arms, which was plain to see.

A different set of giggles caused Ash to spin around, where he found Aiden swimming circles around Misty, pretending to be a hungry Sharpedo. He watched as Misty shrieked playfully and tried to escape from the "evil Pokémon."

In addition to the scene, Ash was busy admiring Misty herself. She really was such a beautiful woman, with a slender body, soft ginger tresses, and the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. Ash frowned a little, realizing he hadn't been complimenting Misty as much as he should've.

When Aiden finally got tired and settled into Misty's arms, half asleep, Ash swam closer to Misty and brushed his cheek against her own.

"Hey," Misty greeted with a slight giggle, lifting Aiden up higher so his head was resting on her shoulder.

"You're so beautiful," Ash murmured, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Where did that come from?" Misty asked softly, looking up at her enamored husband.

"Here," Ash moved a sleeping Michelle to the side to pat his chest; right where his heart was. Misty playfully rolled her eyes, causing Ash to chuckle and follow after her.

"What is it now?" Misty asked amusedly, her eyes twinkling with mischievousness.

"Nothing," Ash smirked, "I just thought maybe it would be fun for you and I to have some alone time in the pool. You know, swim around without the kids for awhile."

"I would love to," Misty smiled sadly, "but you know we can't just leave Aiden and Michelle alone. They're only five years old. _Our _five year olds. They get into everything and anything if we don't watch them like a couple of Fearrow."

"I know," Ash frowned, "it's just been so long since we've had a date or anything like that."

"I know," Misty sympathized. "Maybe when we get back home and there will be somebody to watch them."

Ash sighed but nodded slowly in agreement. He just wanted to spend time with Misty _right now._

**XXX**

The next day, Brock noticed something he hadn't seen in quite a long time.

Ash was hitting on Misty. _Constantly._

Every move she made was met with a flirtatious comment from the Pokémon master. He would brush through her hair, give her little kisses whenever she was near, or grab onto her hand and swing it back and forth.

_It's like they're teenagers again, _Brock thought spritingly.

"Brock," Michelle squeaked one morning, tugging at the Pokémon doctor's pants. He looked down and smiled at the young red head, who looked quite contemplative.

"Hey there sweetheart," Brock chuckled, "got something on your mind?"

"Yes," Michelle nodded.

"And what might you be thinking about?"

"An idea," Michelle piped up. "I have an idea. Wanna hear it?"

"Of course I do!"

Michelle raised a slender eyebrow and motioned for Brock to kneel down. Brock guffawed but did as the little girl commanded. She was _definitely _Misty's daughter alright.

"I want Mommy and Daddy to go on a date," Michelle whispered to Brock. He turned his eyes to the side and saw the couple standing several feet away. Now he understood why Michelle had made him lean down. She didn't want Ash and Misty to hear her!

"How come?" Brock smiled softly.

"That's what people on TV do when they love each other," Michelle reasoned.

"Okay," Brock nodded with a little grin, encouraging the child to keep going.

"Make them go out," Michelle ordered. Brock raised his eyebrows, and in seeing this action, Michelle crossed her arms to prove that she was quite serious about what she'd meant.

"Sweetheart," Brock laughed softly, "Mommy and Daddy can't just go out."

"Why not?" Michelle sulked.

"Because someone needs to watch you and Aiden," Brock explained. "You're both too little to be left alone."

"I am not little!" Michelle stomped her foot.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," Brock apologized to the fussy young girl.

"Can't you watch us Brock?" Michelle frowned. Brock sighed and settled his head in his hands to think. Michelle watched him intently, her big emerald eyes shining with hope.

"I _suppose _I could watch you and your brother tomorrow night," Brock mused. At this, Michelle became visibly excited and began happily jumping up and down. Brock couldn't help but to smile. Ash and Misty always joked he was just as bad as Delia as far as spoiling the twins was concerned. But Brock _had_ to do it. He loved the two far too much to not give into them.

"We have to send Mommy and Daddy to a nice place to eat dinner," Michelle continued. Brock raised his head and gave Michelle a bewildered gaze.

"Are you planning their date too?" Brock murmured, mostly to himself.

"Uh huh!" Michelle nodded her head vigorously. "Daddy loves to eat. But Mommy is always cooking. And she complains about that sometimes. We should send them someplace fancy! That way they can get dressed up all nice."

"Well, I _do _know of a nice restaurant nearby," Brock thought aloud. Michelle squealed and clapped her hands together. Smirking, Brock looked back down at Michelle and asked, "you're quite the smart cookie, aren't you Miss Michelle?"

"Of course," Michelle grinned. "I'm _very _smart, Brock."

**XXX**

"Brock, are you sure?"

Brock was looking between his two best friends, their shocked looks causing him to chuckle softly.

"Of course I'm sure," Brock nodded. "This vacation is already doing wonders for you two, and a real date would just seal everything."

"Come on Misty," Ash smiled, nudging his unsure wife. "It'll be so much fun! And nice too. We never get any time to ourselves."

Misty twisted her mouth and looked down at her two children, who were standing proudly by Brock's legs. "Are you two okay with it?" Her tone was anxious and concerned, and Ash wasn't entirely sure why. "I know we don't usually leave you guys alone. I mean…alone without us. You don't mind if Daddy and I go out for the night?"

"No," Aiden and Michelle replied simultaneously as they shook their heads.

"Really?" Misty pressed.

"We want you and Daddy to go out," Aiden replied, his brown eyes looking rather stern.

"It makes you happy!" Michelle smiled. "Go!"

"See Mist?" Ash smirked. "Even the kids want us to go!"

"Besides, you can't really say no," Brock piped up. Ash and Misty glanced at him. Chuckling, Brock continued, "I made you two reservations at a wonderful, five star restaurant right down the block. It's one of the best in the Kanto region!"

"Oh Misty, can you imagine how _good _that food must taste?" Ash groaned, his eyes sparkling at the prospect.

Sighing, Misty looked back at Brock. "You've really got us cornered here, don't you Brock?"

"Yep," he answered proudly.

"Well," Misty exhaled, throwing a smirk towards Ash, "I guess we're going out on a date tonight!"

**XXX**

"Mommy, you look so beautiful!"

Misty smiled down at her daughter, who was swinging her legs off the edge of the bed.

"Thank you sweetheart," Misty beamed. The gym leader had curled her past the shoulder red hair and slipped on a strapless, aquamarine dress. A pair of dangling silver and diamond earrings hung from her earlobes, while a set of diamond bangles wrapped around her delicate wrists.

"I bet Daddy is gonna be speechless!" Michelle giggled, throwing herself down on the bed.

"You think so?" Misty asked as she brushed away a ginger curl.

"Uh huh," Michelle jumped off the bed and hugged Misty's legs. "I love you Mommy."

"Aw," Misty smiled. Leaning down, she lifted the girl onto her lap and gave her a tight hug. "And I love you, Shelly."

"You need perfume," Michelle pulled away from her mother, giving her quite the serious look. She then turned towards the vanity, picking up a circular glass bottle that had a black ribbon tied around it. "How about this one?"

"That one is your Daddy's favorite," Misty giggled. "Out of all of my perfumes, that one turns him most into a zombie."

"Daddy turns into a zombie?" Michelle frowned slightly.

"No sweetheart," Misty brushed through the girl's hair, "when I say that he turns into a zombie, I just mean that the perfume smells so pretty he can't think straight. So he just kind of _acts _like a zombie."

"A lovey zombie," Michelle cooed fondly. She held up the bottle once again and requested, "I spray it?"

"If you want," Misty smiled. "Not too much though, alright?" Michelle nodded and began to squirt the nicely scented liquid onto her mother.

"I'm done now," Michelle stated definitively as she lowered the bottle. Misty kissed the girl's forehead and took the perfume, putting it back down on the vanity.

"Thank you sweetheart," Misty grinned at the child. "You are a _wonderful _perfume applicator." At this, Michelle beamed and clapped her hands excitedly.

"It's time to show you to Daddy," Michelle announced, jumping off of Misty's lap. "Come on! I'll go out before you, and I'll tell Daddy that you're coming. And then he'll see how pretty you are!"

"That sounds good to me," Misty made sure her heels were all the way on before she stood up. She knew that when Michelle was running the show, you had to do _everything _just as the little girl wanted it done. Misty smiled to herself, a little bemused that her daughter had turned out just like her.

"Daddy!" Michelle called as she darted out of the room. Ash was standing and talking to Brock, while Aiden ran his little toy cars over Ash's nice dress shoes. Michelle took a moment to look over her father's outfit, which she greatly approved of. He was wearing a dark suit, paired with a gray dress shirt underneath the jacket and a sea green tie. It appeared that Ash had even tried to tame his unruly black hair, although it was already beginning to poke up into certain places.

"Hello there Shelly," Ash smiled down at his daughter.

"Mommy is ready now," Michelle continued. "Do you want to see her?"

"Of course I do!" Ash chuckled. "Let me see what you and Mommy have been doing this whole time."

"Gettin' pretty," Michelle answered simply before spinning around to face the door. "Mommy, come out! Daddy can see you now."

"Thank you Michelle," Misty laughed as she walked out of the bedroom. As soon as she came into view, the Pokémon master's jaw dropped.

Misty was absolutely _stunning._

"Is that a good reaction?" Misty smirked, although her voice sounded a bit unsure.

"Y…yes…" Ash stammered. "You look beautiful."

"Why thank you," Misty smiled softly, moving closer to Ash. She wrapped her arm around his and complimented, "and you look very handsome."

"I guess," Ash shrugged, "but you look nicer."

"Gross," Aiden stuck his tongue out in disgust, gathering his toys and moving into another room. Ash and Misty laughed at the boy's reaction, especially when he came out of the room not a minute later to ask, "Are you done now?"

"Yes buddy," Ash chuckled, "we're done being gross."

"Here, come say good bye to us before we leave!" Misty beckoned, holding a hand out to Aiden. He begrudgingly moved closer to them once again. Ash kneeled down and simply ruffled the boy's hair, assuring him that they'd be back later. Misty, however, took a much different approach.

She lifted Aiden up into her arms and hugged him tightly, kissing him all over his face. I turn, Aiden made a series of disgusted noises, eagerly wiping at his face.

"Ew! Ew! Ew!" Aiden cried, furiously rubbing at his cheeks.

"Misty, you know he _hates _being affectionate," Ash couldn't help but to smirk. "Why do you always have to cuddle him like that?"

"Because he's my baby," Misty cooed, giving Aiden yet another hug. "He _needs_ all of this affection!"

"No," Aiden frowned, pushing himself away from Misty. "Down Mommy!"

Misty smiled and put the boy back on the ground. He was extremely independent, never enjoying being held or even hugged. By the time he was about two years old, Aiden typically wanted no part of his parent's outward affection. Michelle, on the other hand, was the completely opposite.

"Pick me up Daddy," Michelle ordered, holding her arms up to him. Ash chuckled and lifted Michelle, pressing his nose against hers.

"Are you going to be good for Brock?" Ash asked.

"Of course!" Michelle gasped, as though she were shocked that her father would ever ask such a question.

"Good," Ash beamed at his little girl. She was _so _special to him, and he knew full well that he would do anything for the child. He definitely spoiled her more than he should. "I love you princess." He sealed that with a kiss on the cheek.

"Love you Daddy," Michelle murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder.

After Misty repeated with Michelle what she'd already done with Aiden (although Michelle enjoyed it more than her brother had) the parents bid their children a final farewell before heading out into the hallway.

"So…you're ready for this?" Ash asked as Misty turned to face him. She grinned and nodded, once again grabbing onto his arm.

"I've been waiting for this," Misty smiled up at him as they walked towards the elevator, neither one thinking of ever letting go of each other.

**XXX**

The dinner had gone exceedingly well. The restaurant was absolutely stunning, decorated in hues of velvety red and gold. The food itself had been excellent as well. Ash had stuffed his face like he hadn't eaten for weeks, and Misty had to (as politely as she could) tell him to slow it down and "eat like the grown man you're _supposed _to be."

"Fowwy," Ash apologized with a full mouth.

"And don't talk with your mouth full," Misty had also chastised.

Without the twins around, Ash had decided that he and Misty should indulge in more "adult" beverages for the evening. In an attempt to impress Misty, so it seemed, Ash had bought the most expensive bottle of wine they had.

"We _are _married you know," Misty had told him as she stared into her glass. "You don't need to try and appeal to me with your Pokémon master money."

"True," Ash smirked at her, "but it _is _my Pokémon master money that buys you all of that nice jewelry."

"Alright, enough about _your_ money," Misty playfully rolled her eyes, "let's just enjoy the evening."

And that had led them here, to this lovely beach. Of course, Seafoam Island was covered in beaches. But this one seemed especially nice. The sand felt softer, the water seemed more calm, and the sky looked quite a bit brighter. Ash and Misty were walking along the shore line, laughing at an apparently hilarious story Ash had just told.

But maybe it wasn't really that funny. They were both a little tipsy and not quite caring.

"A…Ash…" Misty giggled, leaning into her husband's side. "You're _so_ funny! That's why I love you."

"Aw, that's cute," Ash murmured fondly. He had taken his suit jacket off somewhere along the line, and now held it over his left shoulder. Eventually his fingers numbed out, however, and the garment went barreling down towards the sand. "Oh…oops."

He bent down to get it, and was fairly shocked when Misty landed hard on top of him. Judging by her giggles, however, it was quite apparent that Misty had _jumped _on him.

"What're you doin' pretty girl?" Ash snickered, wrapping an arm around Misty's slender body.

"Hugging you," Misty rubbed her nose against his.

Ash chuckled and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to…the side of Misty's lips.

"You missed my mouth!" Misty screamed laughingly, leaning into Ash's chest. "You're _soo_ silly Ashy!"

Ash's face was red with embarrassment. He had to make up for that stupid little mistake somehow. Grinning, he knew exactly what to do.

He gently pushed Misty down so she was lying in the sand, her red hair stretched out towards the ocean. The gentle current was coming close to the ends of the curly strands, but not enough to drench them. Ash hovered over her, his eyes shining with determination.

"There," Ash whispered. "This is better."

He moved his head down, this time his lips correctly connecting to Misty's. They kissed passionately for a little while, until the need for air arose. They separated, each one panting as they stared into each other's eyes. A devious little smirk appeared on Ash's face, and Misty immediately took notice.

"Ash?" Misty asked quietly.

"Let's do it," Ash continued to smile, his voice breathy and enamored.

"Uh…Ash…" Misty sighed as he kissed her neck, "I don't think doing it _here_ is such a good idea."

"Why?" Ash frowned.

Misty sat up a little, still staring into Ash's dark russet eyes. "Because…this is a beach Ash. What if someone were to…walk by? That would just be _really_ embarrassing."

"But Misty," Ash whined, resting his forehead against hers. Misty looked over his shoulder, setting her eyes on a series of nearby cabanas.

"What about in there?" Misty motioned towards the bathhouse. "At least then we could lock it up. And be covered."

Ash surveyed the shelter before looking back at Misty and nodding excitedly. "That will work. As long as I'm with you, I don't care."

Misty blushed heavily, but still smiled sheepishly. "That's so sweet A…whoa!" She suddenly found herself floating in the air. Looking around confusedly, she quickly realized that Ash had gotten up, and was now holding her bridal style in his strong arms. "What're you doing Ash?"

"Picking you up," Ash answered as though it were obvious.

"This isn't our honeymoon," Misty laughed softly, leaning her head against Ash's chest.

"No, it isn't," Ash smiled as he moved towards the cabana. "But we can always pretend. It's more fun that way."

**XXX**

A month and a half after their little getaway, Ash and Misty's relationship had re-flourished. They were just as in love as they'd been as teenagers, and there had literally been zero arguments in the past six weeks.

That's why it killed Misty to have to let Ash go for an entire week to a battle tournament he had in Hoenn.

"Do you have to go?" Misty asked miserably the morning of his departure.

"I don't have a choice," Ash frowned in response. "This one is mandatory."

"But…we haven't been apart for this long our entire marriage," Misty sulked. "What am I going to do without you?"

"Stay strong for the twins, firstly," Ash held onto her face. "They're going to be very upset. I haven't been away from them this long in their _entire_ lives. So just make sure you put on a brave face for them."

"You're only leaving for a week," Misty scoffed. "Arceus, I sound absolutely crazy. It's just _one_ week, and then you'll be back."

"Exactly," Ash gave her a kiss. "Just one week apart."

**XXX**

By Ash's third day away, Misty had determined that this was probably the worst week of her life.

The first full day Ash was gone, Aiden and Michelle were completely miserable. They had screamed and cried all day, not wanting anything to do with Misty. It was all "I want Daddy" or "I miss Daddy" and even "make Daddy come home!" Misty had to keep informing the two that he would be back at the end of the week, but they didn't seem to care. They wanted him right then and there.

All three of them got to talk to Ash on the video phone every night, and it was without a doubt their favorite time of the day. Aiden and Michelle would spend as long as they could talk to their father about what they did with their day. The conversation would always end with the two young children practically falling asleep at the desk, and Ash gently cooing at them to go to sleep.

Misty's turn to talk to Ash came after she sent the twins upstairs. Their talks were, of course, more intimate and sickeningly sweet. And every night, Ash always made the same comment when he first started talking to Misty.

"Why do you look different? Are you _sure _you didn't get a haircut or anything?"

"Yes Ash, I'm positive," Misty sighed. "Unless I started sleep walking and went all the way to the salon, then no, I didn't get a haircut."

"You just looks so different," Ash mused. "Still beautiful, of course, and still like my Misty, but…different."

"Maybe it's just the camera," Misty shrugged. She was tired. She wouldn't dare tell Ash, but she'd been getting sick all day. Worst of all, Aiden had caught her getting sick at one point and was now intent on taking care of her until Ash returned. It was sweet, in a way. Aiden would simply rub his mother's back and talk gently to her while she got ill. Misty felt extremely bad that Aiden was doing it, but he did it all willingly. And it _did _make her feel better. He was just like a little Ash.

"Your eyes look dull," Ash made another note. Misty's heart practically stopped at that remark. "Are you _sure _you're alright?"

_He can't know I'm sick, _Misty groaned inwardly. _He'll either worry himself to death or come running home, and I don't want that. I can't keep Ash from doing his job._

"I'm fine," Misty shook her head. "It's just…allergies."

"In the winter?" Ash furrowed his brow.

"I have really weird allergies," Misty tried, her voice _very_ convincing. "They kind of just act up whenever they want to."

"Oh. Well, promise me you'll take medicine for it, alright?"

"Sure," Misty smiled weakly at Ash. "I will."

"I love you," Ash showed Misty his signature lopsided grin, hoping to cheer her up. It worked, as Misty giggled girlishly and leaned into the screen a little closer.

"I love you too."

**XXX**

The next day, Misty was _still _getting sick, and Aiden was _still _taking care of her. After one of her sessions of throwing up, Misty just felt…miserable. She had absolutely no idea why. She was just thinking about missing Ash and how sick she felt…and as soon as Misty looked into Aiden's sweet little face, she just lost it.

"Mommy?" Aiden asked worriedly. "Why are you crying?"

"I…I'm sorry," Misty apologized, rubbing furiously at her eyes. "I didn't mean t…to cry sweetheart."

"Are you sad?" Aiden frowned.

"M…maybe just a little," Misty lied. That was only a very small part of why she was crying. She really had no idea why she was _this _upset.

"You must miss Daddy," Aiden concluded. He sat down next to Misty and wrapped his little arms around her midsection. "I miss him too, Mommy. But he'll be home soon. That's what you said, right?" Misty smiled at her young son's efforts and simply nodded.

"Thank you for taking such good care of me Aiden," Misty ruffled the boy's hair. "It means a lot to me."

"No problem," Aiden beamed up at her. "Are you done for now? Can I go play with Shelly?"

"Yes," Misty rubbed the back of his neck, "of course you can."

Aiden grinned and jumped up, running out of the room. Misty, meanwhile, sighed and got up on her feet, washing her face off from the sink. As she splashed the cool water over her face, a thought crossed her mind. She had been due the day before Ash left, but nothing had happened.

Misty snapped her head up and stared wide eyed at herself in the mirror.

"Oh my…"

**XXX**

When Ash came home three days later, Aiden and Michelle could hardly contain their excitement. They'd spent all day waiting for him, staring out the front windows and bouncing in their seats. Misty, when she wasn't off working, just stood nearby and smiled at the two young children. They loved Ash so much, and Ash felt the same exact way about them…

"DADDY!" The two children cried at once. Misty blinked hard and sat up a little bit, looking out the window. Indeed, Ash was coming up the walkway, Pikachu hanging onto the master's shoulder as his ears happily twitched.

Aiden and Michelle continued to shriek as they raced towards the front door, fighting to pull it open. Unfortunately for the two, they were both too small to be able to reach the doorknob.

"Here, let Mommy get it," Misty called, walking over to the door. She pulled it back with ease, the children quickly bounding away from the heavy wooden door. "You two are just so excited, aren't you?"

"Yes, we are."

Misty jumped when she felt a hand on her lower back. Whipping around, she found Ash right behind her, his smile so bright and wide it would melt just about anybody's heart.

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu cried, jumping into Misty's arms. Misty, in turn, giggled and nuzzled the fuzzy electric type.

"Of course we missed you too Pikachu!" Misty giggled.

"Daddy!" Michelle and Aiden were still jumping, this time at Ash's legs. He grinned even bigger, if that were even possible, and lifted both of them up into his strong arms. He gave them both a million kisses, and for once, Aiden didn't even think of complaining.

"Oh, I missed you two _so _much!" Ash cried, hugging them a little more tightly. "You were good for Mommy, right?"

"Yes Daddy," Aiden and Michelle were in sync yet again.

"I think I need to ask Mommy, just to make sure," Ash glanced lovingly at his wife, who gave him a playful smirk.

"Your children were wonderful, Mr. Pokémon master," Misty brushed his cheek. Ash hummed knowingly and leaned in to give Misty a kiss on the lips.

"Ew!" Aiden cried out.

"There we go, he's back to normal," Ash cheered laughingly.

"Pipika, pipikachu!" Pikachu called from Misty's arms.

"Look you guys, Pikachu wants to play with you!" Ash smiled. The twins began to squirm, eager to be put back down on the floor. Ash lowered the anxious children and watched them run off after Pikachu, who had already gone flying out of Misty's grasp.

Ash turned back to Misty and wrapped his arms around her, just looking at her for a moment or two.

"I missed you so much," Misty spoke first, her eyes filling up with tears.

"Don't cry," Ash wiped a fallen tear away, "I'm here now. And Arceus I hate it when you cry." Misty laughed and kissed Ash yet again before resting her head on his strong shoulder. "And besides, I have a surprise for you."

Misty raised her head and gave Ash a confused look. "A surprise…?"

Ash beamed and nodded. "Yep. I know this week was hard for you. I could tell just over the video phone that you were exhausted, even if you were telling me otherwise. So, tonight, you and I are going to go on a romantic dinner date. Just the two of us. My Mom will watch Aiden and Michelle for a little while."

"O…okay," Misty smiled weakly, "if that's what you want to do."

"Of course it is," Ash gave Misty yet another kiss. "There's nothing more I want to do then spend time with my beautiful, wonderful wife."

**XXX**

That night, Misty gazed worriedly across the table at Ash, who was busy staring down at his menu. She was so afraid…there was no way she could do this…

"What's on your mind, Mist?"

She shook her head to bring herself back to attention. Ash was smiling boldly at her, his brown eyes sparkling so brightly Misty thought they could be mistaken for diamonds.

"Nothing," Misty smiled feebly, "just…looking at you." She noticed Ash looking curiously at her ponytail. It wasn't unusual for her to put her hair up when she was exercising or doing other kinds of work. It _was _a bit strange for her to do it when it involved going out for dinner, however. Misty just didn't have the heart to tell Ash how many times she'd gotten sick before they left the house.

"So, how are those allergies?" Ash asked. Misty raised an eyebrow when she saw the waiter bringing over an expensive looking bottle.

"Um, they're okay," Misty nodded, not taking her eyes off of the bottle, even as it was settled on the table. "Ash, what did you do now? What kind of ridiculously priced wine is this?"

"Not wine," Ash corrected with a big grin. "Champagne."

Misty's body grew a little rigid. She stared at the glass in front of her like it was poison. She couldn't do it. No way.

"Misty?" Ash's voice brought her back yet again. He had his own glass in his hand. "Aren't you going to try some?"

"A…Ash…" Misty sighed. She held her hand out on the table, turning her gaze up towards Ash. He understood the action and put his own hand into Misty's, gripping it tightly.

"Is everything alright?" Ash asked worriedly.

"Y…yeah," Misty hung her head, "I hope so."

"Hope so?" Ash furrowed his brow. "Misty, honey, what's going on?"

Misty couldn't fight her smile. She looked back at Ash, her face more colored than before. The little grin was quite evident to Ash, as were her gently sparkling eyes. She gave his hand a little squeeze before continuing on.

"Ash…I'm pregnant."

* * *

><p><strong>And...it's...FINISHED!<strong>

**Like I've mentioned at the end of earlier chapters, this story will have two sequels. One will focus on Misty's second pregnancy (and, just to tease you, will feature an evil MUCH greater than Team Rocket) and will be called "Here We Go Again." The other's main plot will be Team Rocket's "secret plan" from 2 chapters ago, along with the mystery of Ash's father and Misty's family, called "Father Unknown." Father Unknown of a midquel, however (the time frame is in between this story and Here We Go Again's) so more than likely, I will be publishing Here We Go Again first. I hope to have that one out in the next couple of days, if not weeks. **

**I would just like to say how much I've LOVED writing this story, and how absolutely thrilled I am with everyone's reactions to it. I never thought ANY of my stories could get to the point where this one has. It is by far the LONGEST story I've ever written, and right now I would definitely consider it my best. So thank you all for the encouragement and suppourt you've given me over the last few months with this story. It really just means SO much to me, and I highly value all of your opinons, reviews, everything! Thanks for being such awesome readers!**

**See you all in the sequels!**


End file.
